Dragons, Trappers, Masters
by nightfury123
Summary: A dragon. A trapper. A master. These are their stories.
1. Prologue: Murdered

**Dragons, Trappers, Masters - Prologue**  
'Today...we're going to be stealing a dragon egg, lads.'  
My men gasped.  
'But, Horvutah, you'll get yourself killed!' my second-in-command protested.  
I drew my sword and walked closer to him.  
'If you're questioning my orders, then your questioning Drago's orders. Believe me, I don't want to do this anymore than you, lad. But I- we have to. And if we don't, it won't be just me who dies- all of us will. He'll see to that. Or, rather, his dragons will.'  
I turned my back to my men, and took a deep breath, to calm myself. My hand was sweating as I held my sword. I put it back in my belt.  
When I had calmed down, I turned to my men.  
'Get the darts. I'll go ahead, and drive the mother out. When I give the signal, SHOOT!'  
'Yes, sir.'

* * *

As I walked to the den, I was shaking. Drago was crazy- he was sending me into a deathtrap. Maybe that was his plan. Perhaps he was jealous of me, because I was better at trapping than he was- or I had a way with them.  
No. I had to stop thinking about that. I only had to focus on one thing.  
When I had got close enough to the den, I raised my sword, and yelled, worthy of one of Drago's.  
Almost immediately, I saw a draconic head poke out of the cave. The dragon snarled viciously.  
_Are you trying to take my hatchling, human_?  
I said nothing, and continued to stand there.  
The dragon had had enough.  
With a huge roar, the beast charged at me. I stayed there, putting my hand out to it. It stopped just short of my hand, staring at it intently.  
I raised my other hand slowly, so that the dragon wouldn't spook out.  
I prepared to drop it, so the men knew it was the signal.  
I did.  
The dragon went crazy, roaring, and trying to shake the darts out of its scales.  
But it couldn't.  
Its eyes started to close, and it laid down onto the forest floor.  
'Sir, I think the coast is clear.' my second-in-command told me. Just to make sure, he poked it with a nearby stick. It groaned slightly; it was still conscious.  
He waited a bit more, and did it again. The dragon was silent.  
The men started to move towards the beast.  
'Stay back, just in case... ' I warned.  
Careful not to disturb the dragon, I walked quietly back to the den, walked inside, and took the egg.  
'Looks like I'm not the one meeting a horrible fate at the hands- or rather, _hand_, of Drago today.' I whispered menacingly to the egg. I could have sworn I heard it whimper. It attempted to escape, bashing at the eggshell with its beak- which confirmed it to be a Stormcutter.  
'Can't wait to get out, can you? I'm guessing you can't wait to meet him. Well, if you want my advice, stay in that egg for as long as possible. Because, believe me, you _really_ don't want to meet my boss.'  
I stuffed the egg into the pocket of my furs, and ran out of the cave.  
This was a huge mistake, for two reasons.  
One: I'd been taught in the first days of becoming a dragon trapper, to _never_, _ever_, make _any_ sudden moves, especially not running, when in a dragon's presence, whether it's conscious or not. The reason for this? Dragons' ears are very sensitive, and they can still pick up even the slightest of sounds, even in sleep. So someone walking, or running towards them, sounds like a Bewilderbeast roar to them. And, by 'taught', I mean, being forced into approaching "asleep" dragons by Drago, and getting bites, and cuts, and gods knows what else from them, because he hadn't told me that they could hear me. His excuse for this was, "learning on the job". I still have the scars.  
Two: Stealing their egg is another thing that can override dragons' unconsciousness. They sort of have a sixth sense for knowing when their egg is being stolen.  
So, naturally, the mother Stormcutter's eyes snapped open, her anger overriding the darts' efforts to make them close again.

Knowing I did not have much time left alive, I took the Stormcutter egg out of my pocket, and threw it to my second in command.

'Take that egg, and guard it with your life. If you don't, Drago will ensure that you won't have one.'

'Yes, sir. But what about you?!'  
'You won't be seeing me again. Now, RUN! Go back to the ship! And that's an order!'  
'No, sir! We're not leaving you! Are we?!'  
Some of the others looked uncertain.  
'I'm proud of you, lad. Showing such loyalty to me...But Drago won't be happy- and that's an understatement- if all of you are killed, when there's only need for just me to die.'  
'Sir, the others may want to go, like the cowards they are, but I'm staying right here with you!'  
'NO! GO! Only the gods can save me now...'  
'Well, sir, if that's an order-'  
'It is!'  
'-then who am I to disobey you?'  
'You would be very stupid, lad. And more importantly, dead.'  
'Goodbye, sir.'  
'Goodbye, lad. You be a good leader to the others, now, do you hear me?'  
'Yes.'  
'And don't kill the mother Stormcutter for this. She was just protecting her egg...right?' I asked the Stormcutter, who was walking towards me with terrifying slowness. She knew that I was trapped now. She was taking her time, enjoying my terror.  
Finally, my second-in-command took one last look at me, and left.  
'Don't look behind you.' I called to him.  
I was answered by muffled sobbing.  
'So, who's going to make the first move, Stormcutter?'  
I drew my sword, and, as fast as a Night Fury, I stabbed her, enough to kill her slowly. She growled, and walked faster.  
Claws ripped into my neck. Although I had stabbed her in a fatal spot, she would die slowly. But I would die first.  
I managed to stumble downwards onto the grass, as I was too weak to stand up.  
She was nearly upon me now. I closed my eyes, waiting for the blast of fire that would end my pain.  
Suddenly, I heard the familiar sound of cruel metal jaws closing onto a scaly leg.  
I didn't need to open my eyes; I knew instinctively what had happened.  
The Stormcutter shrieked in surprise, pain, and fury, and fell to the ground.  
_Good lad_. I thought.  
Then the darkness took me.

* * *

The Second-in-Command's POV  
'Keep running! Don't look back!' I said, more to myself than the others.  
Although my thoughts told me not to, I couldn't resist. I turned around, and saw a terrible sight.  
Horvutah's body, his dragonskin cape (a sign of his authority) nearby, the red of the blood splattered onto it making the Monstrous Nightmare's scarlet scales stand out more than ever.  
A noise made me turn around.  
An animalistic growl, one of disapproval.  
Drago grabbed me by the collar.  
'_Explain_.' he hissed.  
'Erm, well, you see, sir...' I stammered, choking slightly.  
'...I'm afraid he's...dead, sir.'  
'You should be afraid.'  
'Oh...I-I brought you this Stormcutter egg, sir...'  
'Do you really think,' he began, with dangerous softness, 'that a Stormcutter egg replaces ONE OF MY MEN?!'  
'N-no sir...But bringing dragons to you is part of my job...'  
'I know that. I am not stupid. Were you suggesting I was?'  
'O-of course not...'  
'Good. Give the egg to me.'  
I hastily took it out of my pocket. His scowl deepened.  
'You stupid, stupid boy...' he growled, snatching the egg from me and placing it on the ground.  
'Why am I stupid, sir?'  
'Did I not teach you that you should never put dragon eggs in your pocket?'  
'No, sir...why?'  
'Stand back.' he ordered.  
'Why, sir?'  
'STAND BACK!' he screamed.  
'Yes, sir.'  
Almost immediately, the Stormcutter started bashing at the egg with its beak, causing cracks to appear.  
I looked at Drago's expression, and I regretted it.  
He was smiling in a terrible leer of almost fatherly pride.  
Suddenly, the egg exploded, sending flaming fragments around the forest. One landed on Drago's cape, and he brushed it off casually, as if having a flaming piece of egg on his shoulder was no big deal.  
Other pieces landed near trees. Soon, the entire forest was ablaze. Drago just stood there, seemingly enjoying the destruction.  
'Reminds me of what I did to the Chieftains...' he said happily.  
'And what the dragons did to my village.' His voice turned bitter with terrifying abruptness.  
'And what you, little Stormcutter, are going to do for me.'  
He held the baby dragon, stroking him, his eyes gleaming.  
It growled slightly, and bit his finger. Drago yelled in pain.  
'A fighter, are you?' he snarled, between gritted teeth. 'We will find a use for that.'  
Then he threw it off his finger, and it landed next to its mother.  
The dying mother Stormcutter lifted her head as much as she could, and licked her baby. Drago grabbed hold of the little dragon, and laughed at the mother's attempts to get him back.  
'You will not be seeing it again. That is your punishment for killing my best dragon trapper.'  
He kicked her absent-mindedly as he passed her. She howled.  
'In pain, are you?' he smiled. 'Do you want me to end it?'  
He glanced at the hooked end of his staff, and shook his head.  
'No. You will die a slow death, thinking of how I have snatched your baby.'  
He chuckled menacingly at the baby Stormcutter.  
'She is not your mother anymore. I am your new master. And your new father is my Bewilderbeast.'  
The dragon whimpered at the mention of his new father, and king's, name.  
'HAVE A NICE DEATH!' he called to the mother Stormcutter.  
No answer came; not even a growl.  
I walked over to her.  
She was dead.  
The men helped carry the body back at my instructions. Perhaps Drago could make her into a cape, and use her head as a decoration, I thought.


	2. Dark Places

**Chapter One: Dark Places**

**The Baby Stormcutter's POV**

I was roughly stuffed into a dark place. Dark places are usually comforting- they remind me of my of my mother's den. But this dark place smelt wrong; of dragons. Dead dragons. I thought sadly of my mother. Although I could not see, I decided to find out what this dark place was. I rubbed my head against it. It felt scaly. Perhaps I was inside a dragon's skin? My mother's skin? But no. I remembered. The human who had taken me had worn something that smelt like this. He had called it a 'cape'.

Then I realised.

How dare he! This human, slaughtering a noble beast of my species! That was bad enough. And then he actually dared to wear this beast's hide, as a trophy of his victory! It seemed that many other dragons were a trophy of his victory too. His victory over them. They were still alive, too. This is the worst thing you can do to a dragon. To kill one is at least putting it out of further misery, but letting it live, to serve a human, when it would rather be dead than suffer, that is typical of humans.

Suddenly, I heard a snuffling sound, and I felt breath. A dragon was sniffing me out, trying to eat me. Then I heard the sound of sharp metal slicing into scales, and the dragon fell back with a thump and a shriek. I could hear it whimpering some distance away.

I noticed the human had stopped walking.

It screamed, 'HURRY UP!' at the dragon, and I heard the whack of metal against scales.

The human continued walking, the dragon following behind him.

Eventually, I could smell salt, and waves, and tasty seabirds. This reminded me of the place where my mother had gone hunting sometimes to catch fish. There were dragons living in the depths. Scauldrons, Seashockers, Thunderdrums, and...my mother had once told me of a dragon so huge that it dwarfed the others of its species living here. There were only a few left in existence. My mother had called it 'The King of the Ocean'.

And, incredibly, if I smelled hard enough, I could detect the scent of it. But it was yet another thing that smelt wrong. It smelt of rage and anger, which was strange; my mother had told me that these dragons were calm, good kings. This dragon did not smell calm, or good. It was almost as if it had once been calm and good, but something had made it like this. And, buried deep beneath that rage and anger, almost as deep as the sea floor itself, was sadness. Deep, unbearable, pathetic sadness. Misery. This smell reminded me of another thing. When the dragon had tried to sniff me, and laid on the ground, whimpering, it had smelt like that.

So, that meant, that 'The King of the Ocean' belonged to the human.

And now, so did I.


	3. Meeting My New Father

**Chapter Two: Meeting My New Father**

**The Baby Stormcutter's POV**

The human took me out of his cape, and placed me on the ground. Then he raised his metal stick in the air, and swung it around his head, screaming at levels that were painful to my sensitive ears.

The King of the Ocean emerged out of the water, and walked onto the land. Upon seeing the fire, it inhaled, and put it out with a blast of its ice breath. This was one of its powers- it could breathe ice, a power unlike any other dragon's. There was another power it had, but I couldn't remember what it was.

And I was about to find out.

The King turned his mighty head around, and saw me. His eyes lit up with cruel delight.

_A HATCHLING_. _SECURE IT_.

Immediately, the dragon which had tried to sniff me went over to me. I noticed that it had five, long, red, bleeding gashes on its face.

_Where did you get those_?

_Silence_.

I was intelligent, like most dragons, so I realised that he had received them when his master had ripped into his scales.

He put a clawed paw over me, to act as a cage. I fitted more than well enough.

With one of those claws, he grabbed my chin and pushed my face up to the King's eyes.

I tried to get away, for the claws were piercing my chin slightly, but he was strong.

_Do not move, little dragon. You will only make it worse for yourself if you try to resist him_.

_Resist him_?

_Resist his power._

He directed his thoughts to the King.

_Is he prepared, Alpha_?

_Yes_.

The dragon bowed.

Suddenly, a horrible sound entered my head. It sounded like...a song! I must forget about my mother. The Alpha is my father and King now. My eyesight turned red and cloudy. I had an urge that I had never had before.

To destroy, to kill, to tear apart anything that my Master commanded me to.

I had become a monster. A mere puppet, to carry out my Master's deeds.

And I liked it.


	4. Names

**Hey guys! I was away for a bit, so I didn't really have a chance to update. But I did type up a bit of the next chapter on Wordpad, so here you go! :D**

* * *

**Chapter Three: Names**

**The Baby Stormcutter's POV**

_So, you are one of us now, little dragon. _the dragon said as he released me from his claws. The King retreated back into the ocean, his job done.

_What is your name_? I growled.

_My name, little dragon_? _I do not have one_.

_Once_. _But not any more_.

He sighed sadly, and his pupils flickered slightly.

I was grabbed by the neck, by his strong teeth, and I felt him wince slightly, from the five claw-marks on his face.

I noticed that he was not asked to- or ordered to- by his master. He seemed to know instinctively what to do. As if he had done this many times.

_Are there any other new dragonlings_?

_No_. _You are the only one_. _And Master was not pleased_. _The men who brought you here were punished for their failure_.

He carried me up to the deck of the nearby ship, and yowled, not unlike a cat, when Master kicked him.

I was dropped onto the deck.

_Follow me_.

He led me across the deck, crammed with cages of eerily silent dragons. They were not screaming, screeching, or growling, in fear or terror, as they should have been. Perhaps they sensed their Master's presence.

Eventually, he stopped at a cage that was no different to any of the others. He crawled into the one next to it; presumably his, and gestured for me to do the same.

Suddenly, I saw Master's figure, hitting his staff against the cages. The sound hurt my ears.

The other dragons clearly did not like it either, because they roared in protest.

To the ones that did this, my Master put the hooked end of his staff into their cage, and gave them a gash. They were silent immediately.

He made a noise of satisfaction.

Then he started to walk towards me.

Although I knew I could not roar, I started shaking in terror. He seemed pleased at that.

'You are right to be afraid in my presence, dragon...' he snarled, putting his staff inside the cage.

This did not improve my shaking. He gave me a gash, like the other dragons, even though I did not roar. This seemed to be his way of saying that I was the same as them now.

'Now, sleep.' he growled, kicking the cage as he walked off.


	5. The Thoughts of a Dragon Trapper

**Chapter Four: The Thoughts of a Dragon Trapper**

**The Leader of the Dragon Trappers' POV**

I walked to our cabin, with my men following behind me. I tried to ignore the dragons' sad, rumbling snores. They looked so miserable. I sighed, and turned my face away.

My head ached from Drago's screaming. I was so glad to get into my bed, which now had a dragon skin cover, because I was the leader now. I glanced sadly at the bed next to mine, which was empty. The previous occupant of that bed, had his own bed, with the gods. And he was sleeping. Permanently.

Horvutah's bed had the mother Stormcutter's skin as a cover. Above the bed, her head was nailed.

What had he said?

_Don't kill the mother Stormcutter for this_.

Well, at least he wasn't around to see her die. He wouldn't have wanted that. He loved dragons, but he had had no choice to do what he had to, when the Stormcutter was going to kill him.

I was pleased that Drago had at least had the respect to give his best dragon trapper a funeral. It was a Viking one, nonetheless, the same death he had given the Chieftains, but it was still a funeral.

He had, after all, lost his family in the same way. Perhaps that was why he didn't look back when the body was burning. He didn't want to be reminded.

However, back on the ship, he seemed more furious that he had lost one of his best dragon trappers, because Horvutah was, well, the best, and not because he had died.

Nonetheless, we were screamed at for about half an hour.

And, eventually we went back to our cabin, which I wrote about at the beginning of this chapter. And here I am now, talking to you, whoever you are, about my thoughts.

Anyway, I'm sure you don't want to hear the thoughts of a dragon trapper any longer. In that case, I blew my candle out, and went to sleep, listening to the lullaby of dragons' snoring.


	6. Naming and Training

**Chapter Five: Naming and Training**

**The Baby Stormcutter's POV**

I was awoken by the Alpha's roar. I knew I could not disobey his call, so I flew over to him.

Thousands and thousands of dragons were next to him, in his throne room, bowing to their King.

I looked around awkwardly, not sure where to go.

_Go with the hatchlings, little dragon_. a familiar voice said in my head. It was the one with the claw marks on his face.

_AHRAAN_! a huge voice yelled.

_My deepest apologies, Alpha_. he resumed to bowing.

My father ignored him.

_YOU! HATCHLING! WHY ARE YOU NOT BOWING_?!

_I apologize, sir- my king, Alpha_...

_IT IS GOOD THAT YOU ARE REMORSEFUL, HATCHLING, FOR IF YOU WERE NOT, I WOULD HAVE SUSPECTED THAT YOU WERE DEFYING MY COMMAND_.

_No, Alpha, of course not. I am too loyal_.

_GOOD. NOW, BOW_!

I did so immediately.

A huge claw picked me up, and put me to eye level with my father.

I gulped.

_WHAT IS YOUR NAME, MY SON_?

I was so absorbed in his mesmerising eyes, I did not hear the question.

_WHAT IS YOUR NAME_?! he repeated, shaking me in his claw, causing the world to spin.

_I do not have one, Alpha_.

_THEN I SHALL NAME YOU- THRALIIK_.

_Thank you, Alpha_.

_BUT THAT WAS NOT THE ONLY REASON I WISHED TO TALK TO YOU TODAY. YOU SEE, MY MASTER IS ON A VOYAGE TO A NEARBY VILLAGE, TO RECRUIT A NEW DRAGON TRAPPER_.

When he said those last two words, there was a hint of sadness in his eyes, overriding the rage. My dragon-brothers' eyes did the same, perhaps remembering that those people were the ones that had brought them here.

_AND SO, BECAUSE MY MASTER IS NOT PRESENT TO DO THIS HIMSELF, HE COMMANDED ME TO SEND YOU OUT ON YOUR FIRST TRAINING MISSION_.

_And what is this training mission, Alpha_?

_THERE IS, AS YOU KNOW, A LARGE POPULATION OF DRAGONS RAIDING A SMALL VIKING VILLAGE KNOWN AS BERK. YOUR MISSION IS TO RECRUIT THEM. THE VIKINGS, I EXPECT, WILL BE RATHER PLEASED THAT YOU HAVE REMOVED THEIR THREAT- BUT NOT SO PLEASED WHEN THEY ARE CONQUERED BY THEM, ONCE THEY JOIN MY MASTER'S DRAGON ARMY._

He smiled in twisted glee at this.

When do I depart, Alpha?

_NOW_! he roared, and released me from his claws, into the air, and my training mission.


	7. The Nest

**Hey guys! I'm back! As usual, I'll post a new chapter daily, as I've written quite a few on Wordpad! So, here's Chapter Six!**

* * *

**Chapter Six: The Nest**

**Thraliik's POV**

I flew on silent wings to Berk. On the way, I saw a huge volcano. I presumed that it must be a Nest of some kind, completely the opposite of my King's icy one. There was a strange, humming sound emitting from deep within it, sounding like a song. Perhaps the dragon inside was an Alpha? I wondered. I decided against this though, as if the dragon was an Alpha, its song- which appeared to be a call- would be too powerful to overcome. I was able to fly past the Nest quite freely, though- which is more than can be said for the dragon's servants. The sky was black with dragons, flying to Berk.  
I passed by one, a Deadly Nadder. It did not see me. It did not notice anything, only the route to Berk in its trance-like quest.  
I managed to read its thoughts.  
_Gather food for the Queen_. _Gather food for the Queen_.  
Curious, I inquired:  
_Who is this Queen that you speak of_? _Is she an Alpha, by any chance_?  
It squawked in surprise when it saw me, and squawked even louder when it realized that I was reading its thoughts.  
This alerted the attention of a huge Monstrous Nightmare, who was, I assumed, the leader of the raiding party.  
_You_! _Stormcutter_! _Who are you_? _I do not recognize you from the Nest_.  
_I am Thraliik_,_ and my Alpha belongs to a human who calls himself Drago_.  
The Nightmare snorted, steam coming out of its nostrils.  
_Your Alpha belongs to a human_?!  
_Yes_. _He does_. I said haughtily.  
_So_, _your Alpha_, he laughed, _your Alpha has lowered himself to having a master_, _and a human at that_?! _Has he no shame_?!  
_If my master was here_, _he would make you into a cape for that insult_.  
_Would he_?! _Where is he_?! he snorted.  
_He is not here at the moment_. _He has taken his army to a nearby village_, _to recruit a new dragon trapper_.  
The Nightmare stopped laughing.  
_He has an army_?  
_Yes_. _A human and dragon one_. _Big enough to take your Nest_, _and add all the dragons to their ranks_.  
_Is that a threat_? he snarled.  
_If you join us_, _we will not conquer your Nest_. _But if you refuse_, _my master will tear you from the sky_, _and make you bow at his feet_.  
He started whimpering now.  
_Alright_,_ alright_._ I will tell my raiding party to follow you_, _back to wherever you came from_. _On one condition_.  
_And what is this condition_?  
_We bring the Dragon Master to your master_.


	8. The Master of Dragons

******I haven't updated in a day or so (I've actually been updating Fireproof :O) so, here you go; Chapter Seven! :D**

**Chapter Seven: The Master of Dragons **

**Thraliik's POV**  
_So_, _who is this_ "_Dragon Master_" _that you speak of_?  
_There is a prophecy within our Nest_, _that says that a Viking boy will tame a Night Fury_, _and defeat our Queen_. _She_, _of course_, _does not believe it_.  
_How old is the Dragon Master now_?  
_He is not yet one year old_, _and the humans call him_ '_Hiccup_'. _I think he is what the humans refer to as a_ '_runt_'.  
_And if he is not yet one year old_, _his mother and father will be protective over him_?  
_Yes_. _Very_. _I have already met the father_, '_Stoick the Vast_'._ He appears to be the Alpha of the village_, _the_ '_Chief_'. _Our meetings were_, _obviously_, _not pleasant_.  
_Ah_. _That is unfortunate_._ We may need to take some measures_- my mouth formed a bloodthirsty grin- _to ensure he does not kill us_.  
_That is correct_. _What are your orders_, _Thraliik_?  
_Stay here_, _while I find the boy's house_.  
The Nightmare growled in agreement.

* * *

I flew into the village on silent wings, blasting some fire at the Alpha's throne room, which the Nightmare told me was the 'Great Hall'.  
Vikings yelled in horror.  
"GET THE BUCKETS!' a voice yelled.  
Immediately, water was poured onto the Great Hall. I flew past, pleased that I had distracted the Alpha and his subjects for the moment.  
A hut, bigger than the others, came into view. This was where Hiccup lived. I entered easily, the only way I knew how- by burning down the door. Once inside, I quickly snuffed the flames out with my wings. I did not want to burn the boy to death.  
A wailing cry alerted me, and I smiled grimly. Hiccup knew I was here.  
I followed the sound of his crying, until I reached his cradle. Inside was a tiny baby boy, with brown hair and green eyes.  
My claws flicked out, and I prepared to grab the cradle.  
But something stopped me.  
No, it was not his parents. It was my conscience, finally breaking through the Alpha's control.  
My eyesight cleared slightly, and turned a little less red and cloudy.  
How could I do this? How could I deliver a defenceless baby boy to my master, and his death? My master would certainly kill the boy. He didn't want there to be any other dragon masters, apart from him.  
It was then that I decided that I would not serve Drago, or the Bewilderbeast, anymore.  
But it was not just that, that helped me to decide that.  
'HEY! GET AWAY FROM HIM!' a voice roared.  
I turned around- but I had forgotten to withdraw my claws, and accidentally cut Hiccup on the cheek.  
This only made the huge, red-bearded man in front of me angrier. He started to walk towards me, an axe in his hand.  
It was then that I realised that this man was the Chief of Berk, the Alpha.  
My sight misted red again, and I growled.


	9. Taken, and Saved

**I'm breaking this chapter up into sections, because of how big it is!**

* * *

**Chapter Eight - Taken, and Saved**

**Thraliik's POV**  
Stoick continued to walk towards me. I walked out of the house, and did the same, so that he was forced back.  
I pushed him into a wall, so he could not go anywhere. I readied my fire.  
And suddenly, a smaller shape than Stoick stepped in front of him. She had brown hair, and green eyes, like Hiccup, and even the same build. I guessed she was his mother.  
"Don't hurt him!' she shouted.  
Even though I wanted to, I could not. I was obeying a human once again. All my life- at least until I was kidnapped- I had been forced to do this, to obey a human.  
_KILL THE TINY HUMAN_. the Bewilderbeast's voice said inside my head.  
My sight misted red, deeper than it had ever gone before. He was panicking, struggling to control me, so he was doing it harder than ever.  
My head started to hurt as I tried to resist him, but failed. His voice filled my head, confusing me.  
Finally, I could see clearly. Right in front of me, was Hiccup's mother.  
In my confusion, I grabbed her in my claws, and took off.  
"VALKA!'  
So, that was her name.  
"STOICK!'  
_Thraliik_! _Where are you going_?! the Monstrous Nightmare shouted.  
_Go to the Bewilderbeast_, _and tell him I am not serving him_, _or Drago anymore_. I told him, as I flew out of earshot.

* * *

"W-where are you taking me?!' Valka stammered.  
_Be quiet_. I told her. I did not need her confusing my brain any further.  
But, to tell the truth, I didn't actually know, myself. The Bewilderbeast had sent me mad, it seemed, flying around in demented circles.  
Suddenly, I heard a call. I panicked, and wondered if it was _his_ call. I wouldn't be able to resist if it was...  
But no. It was a different call, kinder.  
_Come to me_. _I will guide you_. the call said.  
Before I knew what I was doing, my wings were flying me towards the sound.  
We came to a huge ice-Nest, much like the other Bewilderbeast's. I dived downward, until I saw a small opening in the ice, the entrance, I presumed.

* * *

Thousands of dragons greeted us, some flying about, some inspecting me.  
One dragon, smaller than the others, a baby, growled.  
_Smells bad_, _smells bad_. it whimpered.  
_Come now, young one_. the Bewilderbeast laughed. _Leave our newcomer alone_.  
_Yes, Father_! it squeaked obediently, and ran over to him, nuzzling him lovingly.  
I had completely forgotten, while this had been going on, that I still had Valka in my claws. As a result, my grip had loosened, and she managed to wriggle out.  
She laid her hand on my snout. A pair of huge, kind, blue eyes came to see us.  
I turned my head to the Bewilderbeast's eyes, and I soon became lost in them.  
By the time he had brought me to my senses, I noticed that my eyesight was completely clear. I could see properly now. Everything I saw was no longer tinged with red.  
And I was free.  
I went over to the Bewilderbeast, relieved to be safe now, and laid down and slept.  
I did not notice it, for by then, I was fast asleep, but after a while, Valka came and laid next to me. I subconsciously enwrapped her in my wings, to act as a blanket of sorts.

* * *

**Valka's POV**  
"_THEY'VE KILLED HUNDREDS OF US_!' _Stoick roared_, _practically tearing his beard out_.  
"_And we've killed thousands of them_!' _I shouted back_, _although I knew I could never yell as loudly as him_.  
_He stepped back slightly_.  
'_They defend themselves, that's all_!' _I continued_.  
_As usual_, _Stoick disagreed_. _And this time_, _I had had enough_.  
_I ran after him_, _and grabbed onto his huge_, _hairy arm_.  
'_For once in your life_, _would you please just listen to me_?!' _I yelled_, _sobbing with desperation_.  
_He threw me back_, _onto the hard stone floor_, _and turned around_.  
'_You're not a Viking_,' _he snarled_, '_and you're not my wife_.'  
_He slammed the door_, _and everything went black_.

* * *

I woke up, and found myself looking at the dragon's orange scales.  
He purred reassuringly, the sound reverberating into my ears.  
_It was just a nightmare_,_ mistress_.  
'Was it a Monstrous one?' I joked.  
_I should think so_. he replied, doing his equivalent of a laugh.  
_Now, go back to sleep_.  
I buried my face deeper into his scales, and whispered.  
'You're right. Goodnight...Cloudjumper.'  
I drifted off to sleep again, knowing that I would be happy in this place, and I had nothing and nobody to fear, as long as Cloudjumper was with me.

* * *

**Drago's POV**  
I saw the distant outline of the nearby village, and growled.  
"We're here.'  
The ships crashed onto the beach. It was a long way down, but I swung myself over the side of my ship, and landed on the sand.  
Suddenly, a noise made me glance up to the sky.  
At my command, a bolas seized the dragon, and brought it down to my feet.  
'Where you belong.' I snarled, placing my foot onto it.  
'What are you doing here, dragon?!'  
_I was sent here by the Stormcutter_.  
'Where is it?'  
_Well_, _that is the thing_. _He_- _he kind of told me to tell you that he would not_-  
The beast flinched under my glare.  
-_be serving you_, _or the Bewilderbeast anymore_.  
'_He_ won't. But _you_ will.' I growled, throwing it into a cage.  
"Um- sir?' one of my soldiers asked.  
'What?!' I snapped.  
'So- so are we going to get the Stormcutter back?'  
'No. Not yet. The army is not big enough. But when it is, the Stormcutter will not be the only thing I am taking back.' My eyes gleamed at the thought.  
'What are we doing now, sir?' the soldier asked.  
'We are conquering a village. Now, shut up, and WALK!' I screamed.  
'Y-yes, sir."the soldier stammered.  
I growled once again, thinking of what fun I would have, conquering the village.

* * *

**Fun fact: :P  
Originally, Stoick said, "You're not my Val." I thought it would have more emotional impact, :P if he called her Val. But, thanks to a suggestion from BerserkDragon, ;) he now says "You're not my wife."**

* * *

**ReeseXx: Sure! :D**


	10. Visitors

**Eret's POV**  
"Eret! Come here!' my father said. I got out of bed, and went into the main room, where he was sitting on his Chiefly throne, as he liked to call it.  
"Yes, Father?'  
'The sentries have told me that they saw several ships landing on our beach. The men that were sighted are making their way up here now. I am going to sort it out, and you are not to follow me outside.'  
'Yes, Father.'

* * *

**Eret, Father of Eret's POV**  
I grabbed a few weapons before I went outside, in case these 'visitors' were hostile. Then I opened the door, and walked out, warily.  
In the centre of the village, there was a circle of men. The 'visitors', I presumed.  
Furious, I marched over to them, pushing them aside.  
'Listen, if you think you can just walk into my village-'  
I gasped when I saw the man in the centre of the crowd.  
In the shadowy night, just before dawn, he looked nothing more than a huge shape, dressed in a dragonskin cape.  
But then dawn came, and illuminated him in all his terrible glory.  
The first thing you notice about a man are his eyes. And this man had eyes that were very noticeable indeed.  
Cold, cruel eyes. As grey as the stormy sea. And yet, there was sadness in them. As if he had lost something, or someone once.  
And, suddenly, I remembered who it was. My messenger had told me, thirty or so years ago, that a nearby village had burned down, as the result of a dragon attack, and the dragons had killed everyone. Everyone, except a young boy. He had lost everything.  
That young boy was this man.  
'Bludvist...' I gasped.  
The man did not speak for a long time. But when he did, the 'visitors' parted. I presumed that he must have been in a position of authority to them.  
"I have a first name, Eret.' he said quietly- but there was a hint of menace to his tone.  
'_Drago_...' I amended, sulkily.  
He nodded, pleased at this.  
'It is an honour to have the man, who murdered the Viking Chieftains, pay a visit to my village.' I said sarcastically.  
'Thank you.' he said stiffly, as if he was trying not to strangle me right then and there.  
'So, why are you here?' I asked.  
As if in answer, my son opened the door to my house, and stumbled out. He gasped when he saw me.  
Perhaps it was just the sun glittering in his eyes, but I thought Drago's gleamed for a second.  
'So,' he said, 'you have a son, Eret?'  
'Which one are you talking to?' I laughed jokingly. He did not appear to have a sense of humour.  
'Yes, I do.' I replied, realising that it was useless to make any attempt to joke with him.  
'I think the boy would make an excellent dragon trapper.'  
'But, Drago, he does not know how to trap dragons.'  
'He will learn,' he said in that voice with a hint of menace. '_he will learn_...'  
'And what if I refused to employ him to you?'  
'Well...' he glanced meaningfully at some dragons nearby, who were snarling at me. When they saw that he was looking at them, they were immediately silent.  
'How did you do that?' I asked, in fascinated horror.  
'The answer is simple. You do the same thing to the people of your village, do you not?'  
'Yes...' I admitted.  
'Then it is the same with dragons.'  
'Right.'  
'They obey me, like your people obey you. All I would have to do is just tell them, and-'  
By now, he had a very nasty grin on his face. He looked at the dragons, and then at me, as if to tell them something.  
'_Destroy him_.' he whispered, so quietly that only the dragons, who had hearing far better than humans, could hear him.  
'_But take the boy alive_.'


	11. Running

**Eret's POV**  
I turned around, and sped off towards the woods. I knew, that since they had just arrived here, they would not know their way around. I, however had been living in this village for twenty years, and knew these woods better than anyone.  
Branches snagged my skin, and my furs as I was running past, ripping into them. I hardly noticed- I just wanted to get as far away from those dragons as possible.  
Suddenly, I heard a dragon's shriek of discovery- like a hawk spotting a rabbit. I had seen that happening often.  
_We've got him_!  
I couldn't understand Dragonese, but I guessed roughly what the dragon was saying.  
I forced myself not to look up, as its shadow came onto the ground. Sharp claws grazed my arms.  
I screamed in pain and horror.  
The dragon squawked in surprise, and immediately dropped me, sending me plummeting down.  
This only made me scream more.  
The ground was coming up fast, and I was terrified that I was going to hit it.  
Unhurriedly, the dragon flew over to me, and grabbed me in its claws once again.  
_Now_, _I don't want you struggling and screaming when I bring you to Master _- _that would make a bad impression_ - _so this will keep you quiet_.  
I heard a sound-  
_ZING_! _ZING_!  
-and sharp things sliced into my arms. This time, I didn't scream, because I knew what these things were- spines from the dragon's tail- and I wouldn't have enough time to stop before I passed out.  
So, instead, I clamped my mouth shut, telling myself not to scream, despite knowing that the sleep-inducing poison had already entered my bloodstream by now, and eventually, the darkness came, and I felt myself going down- not just into darkness, but towards the ground.  
The last thing I heard was a huge, loud, booming voice, echoing all around the wood, it seemed.  
"Now you know what it is like, to lose everything, to have everything taken from you, boy..."


	12. My New Boss

**Chapter Eleven: My New Boss **

**Eret's POV **

I opened my eyes slowly. When my eyes focused, I realised that I was on a ship. Dragons were in cages everywhere, and men were armed with swords, and other weapons, presumably in case I tried to attack them.I tried to get up, but I couldn't. The reason for this was clear when I saw that my hands and feet were tied up with rope.

Automatically, I reached for my sword to cut the ropes, but it wasn't in its scabbard.  
"Where's my sword?' I demanded furiously.  
"The less you know, the better.' a man said, who was standing in front of me. He was six-foot-ten, and he wore a dragonskin cape.  
I knew instantly by this clothing, that this man was in a position of authority here. My father was the only person I knew who wore a dragonskin cape too.  
My father.  
'Where is my father?'  
The man's eyes narrowed. He walked up to me, bearing his full height over me.  
'Let me tell you something, boy: I, Drago Bludvist, do not like it when people ask unnecessary questions. And when I do not like something...'  
A cruel smile spread over his face.  
'...you will pay for it. But, if you really do want to know what I did to your father-'  
He held up a bloodied cape.  
'No-'  
'Yes, boy. I killed your father. I killed the almighty Chieftain of your village. I have the power to do that. Now that I have taken away everything from you, as the dragons did to me, will you obey me?'  
I glared at him defiantly.  
'No.'  
He did not explode into a rage, as I had expected- in fact, he seemed to have been prepared for this to happen. Calmly, he drew out something from his cape- his other arm.  
That seemed perfectly normal.  
But what was attached to the arm, was not.  
A dragon's paw, complete with claws, 'fingers', glinting cruelly in the sun.  
I intook my breath sharply.  
He smiled at my terror.  
'Yes, boy. You are right to be afraid. For many young lads like you, were not scared of me. But when they saw this, they knew better. And look at them now.'  
I turned around, and saw three men, probably only a few years older than me.  
'My best dragon trappers.'  
I did not like the way he said 'my'.  
Despite the cruel mockery in his voice, there was a hint of pride.  
'Unfortunately, their leader was murdered a few days ago, by a Stormcutter. She paid for it with her life. My trappers captured her son- but it has escaped. And that is where you come in. You will go with your new family, and my newest recruit-'  
A Monstrous Nightmare obediently slunk over, and sat by his feet. He kicked it.  
'-to track it down.'  
I was still staring at the dragon.  
'It is a very good tracker dragon, and it seems to know the Stormcutter. So it is the best one to take.'  
'And in response to your defiance, boy...yes...'  
He clawed me around the cheek. Blood dripped onto the deck of the ship.  
'...You will obey me.'  
Then he pushed me roughly, to join the dragon trappers.  
I noticed that one of them was wearing a piece of string around his neck, and it had a metal disc, with a Stormcutter symbol, attached to it.  
When he saw me looking at it, he smiled sadly, as opposed to the glares the others were giving me.  
'It's a tradition to give the second-in-command this, in the symbol of the dragon his leader was killed by.' he explained.  
'Wow.' I gasped.  
He laughed.  
'Yes, I suppose a young lad like you would think that. But it's just normal to me. I've been doing this job for three years, after all.'  
He sighed sadly.  
'You're lucky, lad. When Drago recruited me- the same way you were- I didn't have a friend to take care of me. I just had him.'  
His expression changed, into one of disgust, and sadness.  
'And, let me tell you, he's not a good friend at all.' he whispered, so Drago hopefully did not hear.  
But he did.  
He turned around, and glared at the trapper, through stormy, grey eyes.  
This seemed to be the equivalent to a claw around the face. The trapper turned away, and Drago grunted in satisfaction.  
'When he does that, it's his way of saying, "I'm going to get you later". And Drago is a man who means what he says-'  
'Clever boy.' Drago mocked.  
'-And I should know.'  
This didn't make me feel any better- but it probably wasn't intended to.  
'That thing you said earlier- about not having a friend to take care of you, when Drago recruited you- do you mean that you're my friend?'  
'Seems like we're both "clever boys".' he laughed.  
'Of course I'm your friend, lad!'  
He patted me on the shoulder, nearly choking me. He ignored this.  
'You have to make some friends in this place if you want to make it through. You know why? Friends can protect you from dragons- and Drago. My crew would gladly die for me, wouldn't you, lads?'  
They mumbled, 'yes'.  
'Ignore them. They're just shy. But do you know why they would die for me? Because I'm nice to them- something Drago wouldn't understand. I don't treat them like he treats his dragons, if you know what I mean.'  
'STOP TALKING, AND GO!' Drago roared.  
'Sorry, sir...'  
'You should be.'  
'Come on, lad.' The trapper took me by the arm, and examined it.  
'Hm. You don't have many muscles yet. I hope you're not what the Vikings call a 'Hiccup'. Don't worry. A few years of doing this, and you'll have 'em soon! Name's Ziist, by the way. I'm twenty-six.'  
'Oh. Good to know.' I smiled.  
'Now, come on, let's go now- for real.'  
He patted me on the shoulder again.  
'He's always hard on the new ones, lad.' he said, as we were walking off.  
'But, after a while, he becomes almost fond of you.'  
'Yeah, only because you're doing his dirty work for him.' I muttered.


	13. Drago's Plan

**Chapter Twelve - Drago's Plan**

**Eret's POV**  
Ziist led me off Drago's ship, the other trappers following behind.  
"In case you couldn't tell, lad, that's not the only ship he has. But not all of them are his.'  
He continued to lead me through the shipyard, the shouts of men, the clanking of chains, the screeching of dragons, and the sound of the sea, echoing around.  
But wait. That didn't sound like the sea. I listened harder, trying to focus my ears on that particular sound, trying to tune out everything else.  
It sounded like there was something _living_ under the sea. There was a pocket of bubbles, continuously moving, which confirmed this.  
When I asked Ziist what it was, he didn't respond in the friendly manner I was expecting. He pulled me away angrily.  
''No, Eret-' for once using my actual name, not just, 'lad'.  
'-Don't look at it. Drago won't be pleased if you ask questions about it.''  
'Why? Is it a secret?''  
'Yes. And that's the point- you're not supposed to tell secrets. And I don't even know, myself. And they certainly don't.''  
He gestured to the other trappers.  
'You're just saying that!'  
'No, I'm not!' he snapped, pushing me forward roughly. Then he sighed, defeated.  
'Okay. Drago will probably kill me for saying this- and that's not an exaggeration- but-'  
He lowered his voice.  
'It's his secret weapon. You see all these dragons here?'  
It was hard not to, they were screaming so loud.  
'That dragon under the water, that's a Bewilderbeast- the Alpha species.'  
I gasped excitedly.  
'My father told me about those dragons, you know, before...'' I trailed off sadly.  
'...before Drago killed him...'  
'I know, lad. But, back to what I was saying- when it's old enough, this Bewilderbeast will control all the dragons, and Drago can make his dragon army.'  
'Wow!'  
'And so that's why I'm stuck here, travelling around the world in my ship, capturing dragons for him.''  
He stopped at a ship, which was a boat, compared to Drago's warship. I guessed that this was his.  
'Come on. Let me show you around.' he said, grabbing my arm, and hauling me over the side.


	14. Ziist's Ship

**Chapter Thirteen - Ziist's Ship**

**Eret's POV**  
'Wow...' I gasped, once Ziist had pulled me onto the ship, and I was able to look around.  
Weapons were attached to the side of the ship, and there were nets, containing dragon traps, hanging from them.  
'She's a nice ship, isn't she?' Ziist said.  
'Sure is.' I agreed, trying to say as little as possible; talking had become painful, due to the claw-mark on my face.  
Ziist walked up to me, sensing I was in pain, and inspected my wound carefully.  
'Come on. Let's go below deck. We'll need to check that out, before it gets infected, gods forbid.'  
He led me down a set of rickety old stairs, which had nets filled with dragon traps hanging from the banisters.  
We arrived in a room, which had five beds. I noticed that the beds all had animal pelts for covers- except for one, which was dragonskin.  
'I'm guessing that's your bed?'  
'Yep. That cover was made from the first ever dragon I killed- a Monstrous Nightmare. Nobody else has a cover like mine- it's a sign of my authority, as I'm the leader of the trappers.'  
'Wow, Ziist! So, this is were you and the others live?'  
'Well...when we're at sea. But we do have a fort, on land, which is where we're sailing to. But, seriously, we need to get that wound checked out.'  
'Ziist, I'm fine.'  
But he wouldn't hear of it.  
'Now, come and lie down on my bed, Eret, so I can have a better look at it.'  
I did as he said, realising that he was going to check it out, no matter how much I protested.  
'Right. You're lucky, lad. It's on the brink of infection. And if it did get infected, you wouldn't be able to come trapping. And Drago wouldn't like that. Anyway, I'll put some herbs onto it.'  
He went over to a cupboard, by his bed, and got some herbs, and a pestle and mortar, and sat beside me on the bed, mashing up the herbs into a paste.  
'How do you know all this stuff, Ziist?'  
'I was the _zuwuth_'s son.'  
'So your father was the village elder, and healer. What was his name?'  
'His name was Vahraniik, gods rest his soul.'  
Vahraniik. I was sure I recognised that name.  
'Did he happen to know anybody called Eret? He was my father. You know, Eret, son of Eret, and all that.'  
'Yes, he did, actually. Your father was his best friend.'  
'Really?!'  
'Yep. So I guess it's more than a coincidence that we're friends too!'  
'Yeah!'  
'Well, I guess they're happy with the gods now.'  
I nodded sadly.  
Suddenly, Ziist's tone turned serious.  
'Now, listen, lad. I've got something to tell you. I don't know about healing just because I was the _zuwuth_'s son. I know about it from bitter experience too.'  
'Tell me more.'  
In answer, he held up his hand. In horror, I noticed that he'd lost a few fingers, and had replaced them with Monstrous Nightmare claws.  
'These are from the first Monstrous Nightmare that I killed. Do you want to know how I lost them?'  
I nodded, intrigued.  
'Well, I was testing out a new trap I'd just made in the forge. And this was my first one. So, not knowing how dangerous traps are, I was just putting on the finishing touches, and... SNAP!'  
I jumped in surprise.  
'I'd lost a few fingers. The jaws of the trap were covered with blood. When I got back, Drago wasn't too pleased. I asked him to help me, but he wouldn't, because in his opinion, I shouldn't have been foolish enough to do it anyway. And for once, he was right. But his other reason was, when he lost his arm, he didn't have anyone to help him with it, so why should I? And I said, "Because you're my boss." Then he went up close to me, and took his dragon hand out of his cape, and said, "I won't help you with your fingers. But I will give you this, boy." and he clawed me around the face.'  
Ziist put his face next to mine, and traced the faint marks of the scar.  
'That took three years to heal. I hope it doesn't take yours that long. But, at least it'll make you look tough, and make up for your scrawny arms!' he laughed.  
'Yeah, I guess so.' I mumbled, not too pleased about his 'scrawny arms' comment.  
He glanced down at the mortar.  
'Ah! I was so busy talking, I didn't notice that the herbs are already in a paste now.'  
Scraping it out with his fingers, he placed the paste onto my wound. I winced, and gasped when he started to rub it in.  
'Eret, I have to do it hard, or the paste won't get into the wound. And it'll hurt a lot more than this if it gets infected.'  
'Mm.' I gasped.  
What seemed like hours later, he'd finished.  
'There. Done. You can get up now.'  
Once I was standing up, I automatically touched the wound.  
'Don't!' Ziist snapped. 'The germs from your fingers will get into the wound, and stop the herbs healing it.'  
I immediately jerked my hand away, surprised at his reaction.  
Suddenly, heavy footsteps came running down the stairs, and one of the trappers rushed to Ziist.  
'What is it, Hir?'  
"Land ahoy, sir!'  
'Don't call me, sir, lad.'  
'Don't call me 'lad'.' Hir muttered.  
Ziist raised his eyebrows in mock disbelief.  
'Is that any way to talk to your leader, Hir? I could tell Drago about this, you know.'  
Hir was clearly stupid, because he didn't understand that Ziist was joking. Although he was a tall man, at Ziist's threat, he looked very small.  
'No, sir, please, no.' he begged, whimpering like a puppy in terror.  
Ziist's stern face broke into a smile.  
'I'm joking, Hir! Of course I wouldn't tell him! That'd be a waste of a good dragon trapper.' he added ominously.  
At the news that he was not going to die, Hir's face broke into a smile, too.  
'Oh, thank you, sir!'  
'Now, don't grovel, Hir. I don't like grovellers. But Drago does. Now, go. We'll follow behind you.'  
He saluted Ziist, and headed back up the stairs, but not before looking back at me mockingly, and making a noise which sounded like a sneer.


	15. The Fort

**Eret's POV**  
I followed Ziist off the ship, and onto a beach. Ahead stood a grim, dark-looking fort. As we got closer, I heard shouts of recognition.  
'Hey, Ziist! How're you doing?' one man, presumably a fellow trapper, smiled, and patted him on the back warmly.  
'I'm fine.' he said tiredly.  
'Tired from the voyage, eh? You got here just in time. Drago wants the dragon quota filled in five days. Luckily, we've been filling it while you were gone. But I'm sure, now that you're here, we'll have no trouble satisfying him, since you're the best dragon trapper alive.'  
He'd been so busy talking, he didn't even notice me- or maybe he was just pretending I didn't exist. I've gotten used to that.  
'Who's this little runt, then?'  
'I'm not a little runt, I'm Eret, son of Eret.'  
'Oh, you're a feisty one, aren't you, telling me your official title!' he sneered.  
'Listen, Sok, both me and the lad are just tired.'  
'I know that, Ziist. Now, come with me, and I'll show Eret, _son of Eret_, to his room.'  
He led us up the wooden ramps around the fort. They had no barriers, worryingly. We passed cages of screaming dragons, and rooms where other trappers were eating, or talking. Ziist waved to them as we walked past, and they did the same.  
Finally, we reached the very top of the fort. I swallowed, and tried hard not to look down. There was a house here, bigger than any of the others which were built into the walls of the fort, and dragon heads were attached to spikes on either side of the house.  
'I'm guessing these are the first dragons that you killed too?' I asked Ziist.  
'Yep.' he replied.  
'Right then, Ziist, I guess I'll go now, and show Eret to his room.'  
We all said goodnight to each other, and once Ziist had closed his door, a look of cruel delight came into Sok's face, and he twisted my wrist gleefully, dragging me back down the ramps.  
'So, Eret, _son of Eret_, welcome to your room.' he sneered, once we'd arrived at the door. He used me as a battering ram to open it- and the door was metal. Those bruises took weeks to heal.  
He pushed me onto the floor.  
'Goodnight, Eret, _son of Eret_.' he snarled, leaving me on the floor.  
After I'd heard him walk down the ramps to his room, I got up painfully, and made my way to the bed in the corner of the room. I got in, and drew the animal pelt cover up to my chin, listening to the sounds of screaming dragons, as I went to sleep.


	16. Discovering the Fort

**Just warning you now, I tend to ramble on and repeat myself a lot when writing about Valka's thoughts in this chapter... :P**

* * *

**Valka's POV**  
Cloudjumper and I were preparing to go out on our first night flight. We'd been practising in the daytime, a few weeks since he'd brought me here, but now we thought we were ready to try flying at night, and Cloudjumper asked the King for permission.  
_A-alpha_, he stammered, although I did not know why. The Bewilderbeast was a good King, and the Stormcutter had no reason to be afraid of him.  
_I_- _we were wondering if we could perhaps_..._go out on a night flight_?  
The King moved his great head slightly, and Cloudjumper jumped back, and whimpered. He didn't understand that the King was inclining his head, to say yes.  
After a few seconds, Cloudjumper understood.  
_Oh, thank you_,_ Alpha_! _We will be back soon_.  
The King made a rumbling noise, which could have been good-natured laughter.

* * *

I couldn't help but let out a whoop of exhilaration, as we were flying across the sea, at Cloudjumper's top speed. He picked up on my emotions, as dragons can do, and roared in happiness.  
Suddenly, he stiffened, and growled. I glanced down at his eyes, and noticed worryingly, that his pupils were slits.  
'Cloudjumper, what is it?' I asked, laying a hand on his snout, which usually helped to soothe him.  
Not this time, though.  
He shook my hand off, and snarled, staring straight ahead, like a wolf that has seen a deer.  
I decided to stop attempting to calm him down, and instead give him the respect he deserved. Perhaps he was trying to warn me of something.  
As it happened, he was.  
I copied him, staring straight ahead too, in the hope that if I focused my eyes enough, I could see what he could.  
Far away, in the distance, I could see a dark shape, which looked like a building. I could also see that it was located on what looked like a beach. Cloudjumper's eyebeams (which are a bit like streetlights, only they are in dragons' eyes) helped me to see the rest.  
Men were walking about, presumably patrolling. I prayed to Thor that one of them did not turn around, because if they looked hard enough, they would see us.  
_Mistress_, Cloudjumper whispered, _the King is telling me to return to him_.  
'I can't hear his call.' I pointed out.  
_When the King is summoning_, _his call is only audible to dragons_.  
I nodded, taking in this fascinating information. I seemed to be learning new things about dragons every day.  
Cloudjumper started to fly back to the Sanctuary, on silent wings.  
_You must tell the King about this_, _mistress_.  
'Why must I tell him?'  
_Because I have a feeling these humans are bad_, _and it is dishonourable to speak badly of humans to another dragon_, _for your gods may disapprove_.  
I had a strange feeling, that, although Cloudjumper had told me two new things about his species, he may have been lying, because the morning after I had had my nightmare, the King had told me everything I needed to know about dragons- because he felt I was 'worthy'- and he hadn't mentioned this. And the King couldn't have been lying, for he was the King, and he was a Bewilderbeast, so he knew everything about dragons- a King must know his subjects, and he must not lie to them, as it is 'disrespectful'. This was the first 'Dragon Lesson' he had told me.  
And how could Cloudjumper have known that those humans were bad? And why had he told me that the King was calling him- almost as if he had wanted to get away as fast as possible? True, I had too- but there seemed more to it than that; like Cloudjumper knew those humans. I also felt he was lying about that I had to tell the King- almost as if he was afraid to tell the King himself- because if I didn't, it would be 'dishonourable' to our gods. He had said that he had a feeling that those humans were bad- which made me believe he knew them even more. Otherwise, what reason would he have to believe this?  
All these unanswered questions- that could only be answered tomorrow, when I went to see the King. It was so frustrating, but Cloudjumper had told me that, although the Bewilderbeast was a good king, he did not like to be disturbed at night, which I could understand. It was because of this, that I did not think that Cloudjumper was lying about this, too- and I was also too scared to go to the King at night, anyway, because, as I said before, I did not think Cloudjumper was lying, and I was scared of what the Bewilderbeast might do if I disturbed him at night. Although I knew that he was a good king, as I have once again mentioned before, as Cloudjumper was afraid to tell the Bewilderbeast what we had found today, regardless of whether he was lying or not, naturally, I was afraid too.  
There was one thing I could do, though, which was hope that dragons could not read thoughts, human or dragon.  
Cloudjumper snorted, offended- which made me think that he could read my thoughts, after all.  
He seemed to have forgiven me later though, when we had returned to the nest, as if he had not, he would have slept by the other side of the little cave, and not enwrapped me in his wings.  
_Do not worry_, _mistress_, he reassured me, but it seemed that he was just as unassured by this as I was, as we both stayed awake, thinking; Cloudjumper occasionally grumbling and growling to himself, which served as my lullaby- although this particular one it did not help me get to sleep as much as _For the Dancing and the Dreaming_ did for Hiccup, when I used to sing it to him, before I was taken by Cloudjumper.  
Eventually, I finally managed to get to sleep thinking of my son, and Stoick, and wondering how they were coping without me.  
I could only hope that they were doing fine. But I knew, deep down, that this was not the case, and this was the reason that I had cried myself to sleep.

* * *

**The Monstrous Nightmare's POV**  
I was awoken from my cage by an overwhelming urge. But it did not feel like the Alpha's call, or the Queen's. It felt like...food. The urge was hunger.  
And I could smell the delicious scent from down on the beach. Mixed in with that smell was metal, but I ignored it. I was desperate to eat- so desperate that I blasted my cage door off with fire, and flew, silently down to the beach.  
Humans shouted angrily.  
"SHOOT IT! SHOOT IT DOWN! IT'S ESCAPING!"  
"No. It's going for the food in the trap..."  
There it was. A massive piece of meat. And there was no Queen to steal it from me, and demand more food. I bit into it, savouring the juiciness, the flavour...  
_SNAP_!  
Jaws closed on my leg. Was it the Queen's? No. It couldn't be. They felt more cold, more metal, as they ripped into my scales. My dragon-blood started pouring out of the wound, like my ability to fight, to get out of the trap. I remembered when I was free, and then the Alpha changed me. It had felt like this. And, like when the Alpha had changed me, I knew that nobody could save me now...


	17. A Talk with the King

**Chapter Sixteen - A Talk with the King**

**Valka's POV**  
I opened my eyes, awoken by the sunlight streaming into our little cave, and remembered one thing, immediately: talking with the King.  
'Come on, Cloudjumper.' I said cheerily.  
_Mistress_, _I will stay here_, _if it is all the same to you_.  
'Well,' I said, my good mood disappearing, like the King's ice breath, as I remembered seeing the building, 'your loss. You don't have to come if you don't want to.'  
Then I ran out of the cave, and to the grassy platform, that, below, the King was.  
I bowed to him.  
Two, huge, blue eyes looked at me kindly.  
_Welcome_, _little human_. _What brings you here_?  
'I have come, King, to tell you some bad news.'  
His blue eyes grew misty, as if he had already known I was going to say this, but he still inquired.  
_Oh_? _Tell me more_.  
'Well, you remember, yesterday, Cloudjumper and I went out on a night flight, and, well... we made an unexpected discovery.'  
_Yes_?  
'We found a building- a fort of some kind- and...men were patrolling it... at Cloudjumper's insistence, we returned here.'  
_Little human_, _I believe that those men were dragon trappers_, _working for a man known as Drago Bludvist to your kind_.  
A voice came into my head, as soon as I heard that name.  
_LET'S JUST SEE HOW WELL YOU DO WITHOUT ME_, _THEN_!  
Stoick arriving home, his face charred and scorched with ash and flame, looking as though he had seen a ghost- the ghosts of the other Chieftains. Telling me the story of how this man had murdered them, and he was the only survivor of the massacre.  
My eyes blurred with tears, at the mere thought of my husband.  
_If I am correct_, _which I believe I am_, _we will need to take action immediately_. _We will need to gather my subjects_, _and send them out to the fort_. _I will come along later to launch an_..._ah_, _surprise attack_.  
'Very well, King.'  
At the King's call, thousands of dragons came flying towards him, Cloudjumper, although reluctantly, included.  
_Jumper of the Cloud_. The King directed this mental message to the trembling Stormcutter.  
_Y_-_yes_, _K_-_king_?  
_You and your rider will be the leader of our attack on the fort_, _as your rider is the only human here_, _and as such_, _is able to command my subjects_, _like I can_. _But she will be the leader for now_, _until I launch my surprise attack later_.  
Cloudjumper moved his head slightly, as to agree, and to allow me to climb onto his back.  
_When the Jumper of the Cloud rises_, _follow him_. he instructed his remaining subjects.  
They were more than happy to obey him- the Scuttleclaws were jumping up and down, and squeaking excitedly, in anticipation, only to be gently rebuked by the King, and their mothers.  
I patted Cloudjumper- the hand signal for him to rise.  
And, taking off after him, streaking into the sky, and to the fort, were a swarm of dragons, the air deafened by their noises, and also the Scuttleclaws' excited chattering.


	18. The Next Chapter? (Author's Note)

**Now, the next chapter could go many different ways. I've written a few ideas, but I couldn't decide which one to choose- so I'm going to ask you guys!**

* * *

**First Idea:**

**Valka's POV**

As the outline of the fort loomed out of the misty sea, I realised that it still looked creepy, even in daylight. Maybe it was like that to prevent unwanted visitors- like us- from coming.  
Once I thought we'd got close enough- but not for anybody to see us- I made a swiping motion with my hand, to tell them to stay back.  
"I'm just going to get the lay of the land.' I told Cloudjumper. He snorted nervously, though still in agreement.  
Suddenly, I heard a terrible howling noise, which made the dragons spook out, and it took a roar from Cloudjumper to get them to settle down again.  
_No_..._my dragon brother_... Cloudjumper gasped. He flew down to the beach, and landed.  
_You must help him_, _mistress_.  
'W-what do you mea-'  
I answered my own question, as the source of the howling turned out to be a dragon caught in a trap.  
I walked over to it slowly, so as not to scare it.  
The species was a Monstrous Nightmare- I knew that much, as they were probably the most prolific dragons when they raided back on Berk.  
_Berk_...  
Tears blurred my eyes again.  
No. I must not think about it. The Sanctuary was my new home now. And I had to concentrate on freeing this dragon.  
I looked into the dragon's eyes, to try to calm it down- but I regretted it.  
_Those eyes_...  
Slitted pupils, _burning_ with anger, and rage, and misery.  
But why? Why was it so furious- no, _seething_?  
I thought desperately for an answer to this question. The King had once told me (Dragon Lesson 5) that, although there were very few of his kind left, there were still some who were bad. Bad Kings, he had said, who abused their ability to bend other dragons to their will.  
This dragon may have suffered under one such bad King. This would definitely explain his slitted pupils.  
My thoughts were interrupted by a sharp roar from Cloudjumper, warning me I did not have much time.  
At last, the lock of the trap sprang open, and the Nightmare was free...  
"_DRAGON RIDER_!" came a shout from behind me.  
'Go on! Go! You're free now! Fly!' I told the Nightmare frantically.  
But he would not go. He cowered on the sand, waiting for the owner of the voice.  
I ran over to Cloudjumper, and tried to climb onto him- but a dart pierced his skin, narrowly missing me, and he fell onto the sand.  
'_No_! Wake up! _Wake up_!' I shouted.  
But he only groaned sleepily in reply.  
I instinctively ran over to the only dragon left I could protect- the Sanctuary dragons had been incapacitated by darts attached to bolases.  
I placed my hand gently on the Monstrous Nightmare's snout, as men surrounded me, swords, axes, and crossbows drawn and at the ready.  
'Aaaand we're all here.' I said, slightly sarcastically.  
'Don't hurt the Nightmare!'  
"Why would we?' one man sneered. He was standing at the front of the crowd of men, so I guessed he was the leader. 'Drago wouldn't be pleased with us if we did that.'  
I breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. This man was not Drago- and he certainly didn't look like he was capable of burning down any buildings- with people still inside- due to his rather skinny arms.  
'Yep, I'm not Drago.' he confirmed, as if he could read my mind. 'And you should be thanking your gods that I'm not.' he added onimiously.  
'Erm... why?'  
'Oh, you're a curious little dragon rider, aren't you. But in case you've forgotten, it's _us_ who's supposed to be asking _you_ the questions, not the other way around.'  
He walked towards me slightly, trying to intimidate me- but I could hardly be intimidated by a man who was probably no older than me, with skinny arms. This was not the case for the Nightmare, however. He continued to cower in fear as the man got closer.  
'Let me just ask you one question, before you get on with your so-called "interrogation"...what's your name?'  
'The less you know, the better. I once had those exact words said to me by Drago, when he first recruited me. And I know them to be true now.'  
'Maybe I don't need to know your name. But you all need to know _this_.' I stood up. The Monstrous Nightmare responded to this, seeming to have found hope again, and did the same.  
The man looked nervous, but he still stood his ground.  
'What are you going to do-'  
'Just let me show you.'  
And so, I extended my palm out to the Monstrous Nightmare, the same way my son had done fifteen years later, and said the exact same words he had said, upon discovering what I had.  
History repeats itself.  
'Everything we know about them...is wrong. They're not what we think they are...'  
'Really?! Try telling that to Drago. He lost his arm to the beasts.'  
'If you would just let me show you...' I repeated.  
'No. Let _ME_ show _YOU_.' the man said, whacking my hand away from the dragon's snout, hitting the poor reptile, and screaming at it.  
The Nightmare's once-docile eyes turned to slits at this cruel treatment, and he went not after me, but after the man.  
He screamed in terror, which was understandable.

* * *

**Second Idea:**

**Eret's POV**  
I opened my eyes, and realised with a sick feeling in my stomach that sunlight was already streaming through the window. I should have got up before dawn, and now I was going to have to pay for not doing so...I may as well make it fast.  
I opened the door of the room, and walked outside, onto the ramps. Ziist came running up to me, breathless.  
"Oh, Eret. Thank gods you're up. We need you.'  
'Why?'  
He took a spyglass out of his pocket, and handed it to me. I looked into it, and saw thousands of dragons flying towards the fort.  
My stomach dropped even further.  
'T-those don't look like Drago's dragons. How long before they get here?'  
'I'm not sure, but not long enough for us to sail to Drago and tell him- but probably long enough to send airmail.'  
I nodded.  
He whistled, and a Terrible Terror flew out of the sky, and landed on his arm, similar to a falcon.  
He showed me what he had written on a letter, which he produced from his pocket.  
_Drago_,  
_There's what appears to be another dragon army flying towards the fort_, _intending to attack us_. _We will shoot them down_, _of course_, _and bring them to you_, _so we should have surpassed our dragon quota_.  
_From Ziist_.  
He then put it into the Terror's claws.  
'Fly back to your master.' he instructed, and raised his arm. The little dragon flew off as soon as his arm reached its highest point.

* * *

**The Terrible Terror's POV**  
As I am flying, suddenly I hear a noise. One I know well. It is my Alpha's call...but it is from a different Alpha.  
No! Why am I even calling it an Alpha?! It is telling me to call it that. But I will not. Doesn't it know that I will always serve my rightful Alpha, which is not it. Or maybe it is.  
No. NO. I must resist. But it is too late.  
I look around for my new Alpha, but I do not see it.  
I smell underneath the sea, and catch his scent. Perhaps he is hiding.  
I turn around, and see those horrible men. I squeak in outrage, and fly towards them.  
"FIRE!"  
A sharp thing sticks into me. I look back at where I have been shot, and see a red thing, with a sharp point embedded into my green scales. That is the last thing I remember.

* * *

**Eret's POV**  
'Right, now that's taken care of...' Ziist kicked the Terror, and smiled nastily up at the dragons flying towards us.  
'You'll all be joining it soon.' he snarled.  
One of the dragons, at the front, cut off from the group, and flew down to the beach where the Monstrous Nightmare was caught in the trap. It looked like a Stormcutter, and... a figure climbed off it.  
I drew my sword, and tried to walk over to them, but Ziist blocked my path with his arm.  
'Wait.' he whispered. 'When they're distracted, I'll give the signal for the dart-bolases.'  
The figure was busy undoing the trap, so I guessed they were distracted now.  
Ziist raised his other arm, and prepared to drop it- this was the signal.  
As fast and as silent as a Night Fury, the dart-bolases were fired. The dragons hardly knew what had hit them. One second they were flying, the next, they were plummeting down, trapped in the bolases. Those who hadn't been incapacited were, once they hit the ground.

* * *

**Valka's POV**  
I heard the dragons crashing onto the sand, and my stomach dropped. I had to save them...but I also had to free this Monstrous Nightmare.  
I looked into the dragon's eyes, to try to calm it down- but I regretted it.  
_Those eyes_...  
Slitted pupils, _burning_ with anger, and rage, and misery.  
But why? Why was it so furious- no, _seething_?  
I thought desperately for an answer to this question. The King had once told me (Dragon Lesson 5) that, although there were very few of his kind left, there were still some who were bad. Bad Kings, he had said, who abused their ability to bend other dragons to their will.  
This dragon may have suffered under one such bad King. This would definitely explain his slitted pupils.  
My thoughts were interrupted by a sharp roar from Cloudjumper, warning me I did not have much time.  
At last, the lock of the trap sprang open, and the Nightmare was free...  
"_DRAGON RIDER_!" came a shout from behind me.  
'Go on! Go! You're free now! Fly!' I told the Nightmare frantically.  
But he would not go. He cowered on the sand, waiting for the owner of the voice.  
I ran over to Cloudjumper, and tried to climb onto him- but a dart pierced his skin, narrowly missing me, and he fell onto the sand.  
'_No_! Wake up! _Wake up_!' I shouted.  
But he only groaned sleepily in reply.  
I instinctively ran over to the only dragon left I could protect- the Sanctuary dragons had been incapacitated by darts attached to bolases.  
I placed my hand gently on the Monstrous Nightmare's snout, as men surrounded me, swords, axes, and crossbows drawn and at the ready.  
'Aaaand we're all here.' I said, slightly sarcastically.  
'Don't hurt the Nightmare!'  
"Why would we?' one man sneered. He was standing at the front of the crowd of men, so I guessed he was the leader. 'Drago wouldn't be pleased with us if we did that.'  
I breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. This man was not Drago- and he certainly didn't look like he was capable of burning down any buildings- with people still inside- due to his rather skinny arms.  
'Yep, I'm not Drago.' he confirmed, as if he could read my mind. 'And you should be thanking your gods that I'm not.' he added onimiously.  
'Erm... why?'  
'Oh, you're a curious little dragon rider, aren't you. But in case you've forgotten, it's _us_ who's supposed to be asking _you_ the questions, not the other way around.'  
He walked towards me slightly, trying to intimidate me- but I could hardly be intimidated by a man who was probably no older than me, with skinny arms. This was not the case for the Nightmare, however. He continued to cower in fear as the man got closer.  
'Let me just ask you one question, before you get on with your so-called "interrogation"...what's your name?'  
'The less you know, the better. I once had those exact words said to me by Drago, when he first recruited me. And I know them to be true now.'  
'Maybe I don't need to know your name. But you all need to know _this_.' I stood up. The Monstrous Nightmare responded to this, seeming to have found hope again, and did the same.  
The man looked nervous, but he still stood his ground.  
'What are you going to do-'  
'Just let me show you.'  
And so, I extended my palm out to the Monstrous Nightmare, the same way my son had done fifteen years later, and said the exact same words he had said, upon discovering what I had.  
History repeats itself.  
'Everything we know about them...is wrong. They're not what we think they are...'  
'Really?! Try telling that to Drago. He lost his arm to the beasts.'  
'If you would just let me show you...' I repeated.  
'No. Let _ME_ show _YOU_.' the man said, whacking my hand away from the dragon's snout, hitting the poor reptile, and screaming at it.  
The Nightmare's once-docile eyes turned to slits at this cruel treatment, and he went not after me, but after the man.  
He screamed in terror, which was understandable.

* * *

**Third Idea:**

**Ziist's POV**  
"Eret!' I yell, and run after him.  
"Sir, no!"  
"You'll get yourself killed!" the other trappers shout. I ignore them.  
'RUN!' I scream to Eret.  
'But, sir-'  
'RUN! I'll take care of the Nightmare!'  
The dragon notices us speaking, and runs straight for me. I notice with relief that Eret has got out of the way. The Nightmare notices this too, and a clawed paw swats me aside, in its frenzy to get to him.  
But I don't remember any more.

* * *

**Cloudjumper's POV**  
A piercing scream entered my head, waking me up. I looked around, and I saw the Monstrous Nightmare.  
_So_, _you've woken up_, he snarled.  
_Apparently_, _you are not as stupid as you seem_, I replied.  
With a roar of rage, he walked towards me, but before he reached me, I got up, and we circled each other.  
The people crowding around us gasped. My mistress was among them.  
_You don't have to do this_, _Nightmare_.  
_Alpha's orders_.  
I could not tell if he was lying or not, but if I listened hard, into his thoughts, I could hear a voice.  
_**BRING THE TRAITOR TO ME**_.  
_A_-_alpha_, _he is_ _too strong_-_willed_...  
_**WE WILL SEE ABOUT THAT**_.  
The voice was not in the Nightmare's thoughts, but in mine, now.  
_**GIVE UP**_. _**I AM YOUR ALPHA NOW**_.  
_No_. _Not again_…_Listen to me_, _Nightmare_, _please_, _you can be free from the Queen_, _from the Alpha_, _from any of those that try to control you_, _if you just join us_.  
_That is what the Alpha said to me_. _And I_ am _free_.  
_You are not_. _He is just making you believe that_. _You are in a trance_. _Wake up_! _WAKE UP_!  
For a second, the Nightmare's eyes turned docile, but even then, they were miserable. And then his eyes turned to slits again.  
_I can see you_, _Nightmare_. _I can see who you are inside_. _You are miserable_. _Your Alpha is not a good King_. _He is using you_. _But_my _King_, _however_, is _good_.  
_**YOU HAVE A KING**_, _**STORMCUTTER**_?!  
_Yes_. _And you can meet him_, _if you wish_.  
_**VERY WELL**_. _**I WILL CRUSH YOUR PATHETIC**_ "_**KING**_", _**GORE HIM WITH MY TUSKS**_!  
_Mistress_, _can you call the Alpha_?  
'Yes, Cloudjumper.'  
She turned to the other people.  
'You might want to run.'  
They all did.  
Except for one.  
A young man, sitting next to the body of another, which had blood running down its face.  
He was too busy trying to find any signs of life in his companion, to notice what was going on.  
_**IF I HAD A HEART**_, _**I MIGHT FIND THIS TOUCHING**_. _**BUT MY MASTER BROKE MINE LONG AGO**_.  
You... I hissed at the voice. You _killed him_.  
I _**DID NOT KILL HIM**_. HE _**DID**_.  
By 'him', I knew that the voice was referring to the Monstrous Nightmare.  
I snarled at him, and prepared to fight again.  
This time, a different voice entered my head- a calm, kinder one- my Alpha's voice.  
_**No**_, _**Jumper of the Cloud**_. _**Do not murder him out of anger**_. _**Then you would be no better than him**_.  
The sound of his voice calmed me, enough to obey him.  
_Yes_, _Alpha_.  
Then the voice entered my head again.  
_**THERE IS**_..._**ANOTHER ONE**_?! it roared.  
_Yes_. _There is_. _And he is a better King than you will ever be_.  
The voice roared in fury.  
_**NIGHTMARE**_, _**TO ME**_!  
The dragon prepared to take to the sky, and obey the voice. An urge tugged inside me to do the same.  
_Follow_. _Follow_.  
_No_, the Alpha said firmly, _you will not_. _Now_, _let us get on with the matter at hand_...  
The mighty beast turned his head towards the fort, and inhaled.

* * *

**Eret's POV**  
'No...' I whimpered, doing everything I could to shield Ziist. '_No_...'  
I had one last look at him, and gently removed his metal Stormcutter disc. At least I'd have something to remember him by.  
Then the ice-spitter blasted him out of the world, and my world faded into freezing, cold, white.

* * *

**Valka's POV**  
'King,' I whispered, 'look.'  
The Bewilderbeast did so, and made his equivalent of a gasp.  
A young man was lying on the ground, another man next to him. The first one was clearly dead, but the other was not.  
'I-it's okay,' I gasped, although it was not. 'You just c-couldn't see him, before you aimed...'

* * *

**Send me a PM, or review to let me know which should be the next chapter! :D**

**(Reading Valka's POV of the third idea has inspired me...)**


	19. Dragon Rider

**Here's the next chapter, with the second idea, and the third one (with a bit added on) combined!**

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen - Dragon Rider**

**Eret's POV**  
I opened my eyes, and realised with a sick feeling in my stomach that sunlight was already streaming through the window. I should have got up before dawn, and now I was going to have to pay for not doing so...I may as well make it fast.  
I opened the door of the room, and walked outside, onto the ramps. Ziist came running up to me, breathless.  
"Oh, Eret. Thank gods you're up. We need you.'  
'Why?'  
He took a spyglass out of his pocket, and handed it to me. I looked into it, and saw thousands of dragons flying towards the fort.  
My stomach dropped even further.  
'T-those don't look like Drago's dragons. How long before they get here?'  
'I'm not sure, but not long enough for us to sail to Drago and tell him- but probably long enough to send airmail.'  
I nodded.  
He whistled, and a Terrible Terror flew out of the sky, and landed on his arm, similar to a falcon.  
He showed me what he had written on a letter, which he produced from his pocket.  
_Drago_,  
_There's what appears to be another dragon army flying towards the fort_, _intending to attack us_. _We will shoot them down_, _of course_, _and bring them to you_, _so we should have surpassed our dragon quota_.  
_From Ziist_.  
He then put it into the Terror's claws.  
'Fly back to your master.' he instructed, and raised his arm. The little dragon flew off as soon as his arm reached its highest point.

* * *

**The Terrible Terror's POV**  
As I am flying, suddenly I hear a noise. One I know well. It is my Alpha's call...but it is from a different Alpha.  
No! Why am I even calling it an Alpha?! It is telling me to call it that. But I will not. Doesn't it know that I will always serve my rightful Alpha, which is not it. Or maybe it is.  
No. NO. I must resist. But it is too late.  
I look around for my new Alpha, but I do not see it.  
I smell underneath the sea, and catch his scent. Perhaps he is hiding.  
I turn around, and see those horrible men. I squeak in outrage, and fly towards them.  
"FIRE!"  
A sharp thing sticks into me. I look back at where I have been shot, and see a red thing, with a sharp point embedded into my green scales. That is the last thing I remember.

* * *

**Eret's POV**  
'Right, now that's taken care of...' Ziist kicked the Terror, and smiled nastily up at the dragons flying towards us.  
'You'll all be joining it soon.' he snarled.  
One of the dragons, at the front, cut off from the group, and flew down to the beach where the Monstrous Nightmare was caught in the trap. It looked like a Stormcutter, and... a figure climbed off it.  
I drew my sword, and tried to walk over to them, but Ziist blocked my path with his arm.  
'Wait.' he whispered. 'When they're distracted, I'll give the signal for the dart-bolases.'  
The figure was busy undoing the trap, so I guessed they were distracted now.  
Ziist raised his other arm, and prepared to drop it- this was the signal.  
As fast and as silent as a Night Fury, the dart-bolases were fired. The dragons hardly knew what had hit them. One second they were flying, the next, they were plummeting down, trapped in the bolases. Those who hadn't been incapacited were, once they hit the ground.

* * *

**Valka's POV**  
I heard the dragons crashing onto the sand, and my stomach dropped. I had to save them...but I also had to free this Monstrous Nightmare.  
I looked into the dragon's eyes, to try to calm it down- but I regretted it.  
_Those eyes_...  
Slitted pupils, _burning_ with anger, and rage, and misery.  
But why? Why was it so furious- no, _seething_?  
I thought desperately for an answer to this question. The King had once told me (Dragon Lesson 5) that, although there were very few of his kind left, there were still some who were bad. Bad Kings, he had said, who abused their ability to bend other dragons to their will.  
This dragon may have suffered under one such bad King. This would definitely explain his slitted pupils.  
My thoughts were interrupted by a sharp roar from Cloudjumper, warning me I did not have much time.  
At last, the lock of the trap sprang open, and the Nightmare was free...  
"_DRAGON RIDER_!" came a shout from behind me.  
'Go on! Go! You're free now! Fly!' I told the Nightmare frantically.  
But he would not go. He cowered on the sand, waiting for the owner of the voice.  
I ran over to Cloudjumper, and tried to climb onto him- but a dart pierced his skin, narrowly missing me, and he fell onto the sand.  
'_No_! Wake up! _Wake up_!' I shouted.  
But he only groaned sleepily in reply.  
I instinctively ran over to the only dragon left I could protect- the Sanctuary dragons had been incapacitated by darts attached to bolases.  
I placed my hand gently on the Monstrous Nightmare's snout, as men surrounded me, swords, axes, and crossbows drawn and at the ready.  
'Aaaand we're all here.' I said, slightly sarcastically.  
'Don't hurt the Nightmare!'  
"Why would we?' one man sneered. He was standing at the front of the crowd of men, so I guessed he was the leader. 'Drago wouldn't be pleased with us if we did that.'  
I breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. This man was not Drago- and he certainly didn't look like he was capable of burning down any buildings- with people still inside- due to his rather skinny arms.  
'Yep, I'm not Drago.' he confirmed, as if he could read my mind. 'And you should be thanking your gods that I'm not.' he added onimiously.  
'Erm... why?'  
'Oh, you're a curious little dragon rider, aren't you. But in case you've forgotten, it's _us_ who's supposed to be asking_you_ the questions, not the other way around.'  
He walked towards me slightly, trying to intimidate me- but I could hardly be intimidated by a man who was probably no older than me, with skinny arms. This was not the case for the Nightmare, however. He continued to cower in fear as the man got closer.  
'Let me just ask you one question, before you get on with your so-called "interrogation"...what's your name?'  
'The less you know, the better. I once had those exact words said to me by Drago, when he first recruited me. And I know them to be true now.'  
'Maybe I don't need to know your name. But you all need to know _this_.' I stood up. The Monstrous Nightmare responded to this, seeming to have found hope again, and did the same.  
The man looked nervous, but he still stood his ground.  
'What are you going to do-'  
'Just let me show you.'  
And so, I extended my palm out to the Monstrous Nightmare, the same way my son had done fifteen years later, and said the exact same words he had said, upon discovering what I had.  
History repeats itself.  
'Everything we know about them...is wrong. They're not what we think they are...'  
'Really?! Try telling that to Drago. He lost his arm to the beasts.'  
'If you would just let me show you...' I repeated.  
'No. Let _ME_ show _YOU_.' the man said, whacking my hand away from the dragon's snout, hitting the poor reptile, and screaming at it.  
The Nightmare's once-docile eyes turned to slits at this cruel treatment, and he went not after me, but after the man.  
He screamed in terror, which was understandable.

* * *

**Ziist's POV**  
"Eret!' I yell, and run after him.  
"Sir, no!"  
"You'll get yourself killed!" the other trappers shout. I ignore them.  
'RUN!' I scream to Eret.  
'But, sir-'  
'RUN! I'll take care of the Nightmare!'  
The dragon notices us speaking, and runs straight for me. I notice with relief that Eret has got out of the way. The Nightmare notices this too, and a clawed paw swats me aside, in its frenzy to get to him.  
But I don't remember any more.

* * *

**Cloudjumper's POV**  
A piercing scream entered my head, waking me up. I looked around, and I saw the Monstrous Nightmare.  
_So_, _you've woken up_, he snarled.  
_Apparently_, _you are not as stupid as you seem_, I replied.  
With a roar of rage, he walked towards me, but before he reached me, I got up, and we circled each other.  
The people crowding around us gasped. My mistress was among them.  
_You don't have to do this_, _Nightmare_.  
_Alpha's orders_.  
I could not tell if he was lying or not, but if I listened hard, into his thoughts, I could hear a voice.  
**_BRING THE TRAITOR TO ME_**.  
_A_-_alpha_, _he is_ _too strong_-_willed_...  
**_WE WILL SEE ABOUT THAT_**.  
The voice was not in the Nightmare's thoughts, but in mine, now.  
**_GIVE UP_**. **_I AM YOUR ALPHA NOW_**.  
_No_. _Not again_…_Listen to me_, _Nightmare_, _please_, _you can be free from the Queen_, _from the Alpha_, _from any of those that try to control you_, _if you just join us_.  
_That is what the Alpha said to me_. _And I_ am _free_.  
_You are not_. _He is just making you believe that_. _You are in a trance_. _Wake up_! _WAKE UP_!  
For a second, the Nightmare's eyes turned docile, but even then, they were miserable. And then his eyes turned to slits again.  
_I can see you_, _Nightmare_. _I can see who you are inside_. _You are miserable_. _Your Alpha is not a good King_. _He is using you_. _But_ my _King_, _however_, is _good_.  
**_YOU HAVE A KING_**, **_STORMCUTTER_**?!  
_Yes_. _And you can meet him_, _if you wish_.  
**_VERY WELL_**. **_I WILL CRUSH YOUR PATHETIC_** "**_KING_**", **_GORE HIM WITH MY TUSKS_**!  
_Mistress_, _can you call the Alpha_?  
'Yes, Cloudjumper.'  
She turned to the other people.  
'You might want to run.'  
They all did.  
Except for one.  
A young man, sitting next to the body of another, which had blood running down its face.  
He was too busy trying to find any signs of life in his companion, to notice what was going on.  
**_IF I HAD A HEART_**, **_I MIGHT FIND THIS TOUCHING_**. **_BUT MY MASTER BROKE MINE LONG AGO_**.  
You... I hissed at the voice. You _killed him_.  
I **_DID NOT KILL HIM_**. HE **_DID_**.  
By 'him', I knew that the voice was referring to the Monstrous Nightmare.  
I snarled at him, and prepared to fight again.  
This time, a different voice entered my head- a calm, kinder one- my Alpha's voice.  
**_No_**, **_Jumper of the Cloud_**. **_Do not murder him out of anger_**. **_Then you would be no better than him_**.  
The sound of his voice calmed me, enough to obey him.  
_Yes_, _Alpha_.  
Then the voice entered my head again.  
**_THERE IS_**...**_ANOTHER ONE_**?! it roared.  
_Yes_. _There is_. _And he is a better King than you will ever be_.  
The voice roared in fury.  
**_NIGHTMARE_**, **_TO ME_**!  
The dragon prepared to take to the sky, and obey the voice. An urge tugged inside me to do the same.  
_Follow_. _Follow_.  
_No_, the Alpha said firmly, _you will not_. _Now_, _let us get on with the matter at hand_...  
The mighty beast turned his head towards the fort, and inhaled.

* * *

**Eret's POV**  
'No...' I whimpered, doing everything I could to shield Ziist. '_No_.'  
I had one last look at him, and gently removed his metal Stormcutter disc. At least I'd have something to remember him by.  
Then the ice-spitter blasted him out of the world, and my world faded into freezing, cold, white.

* * *

**Valka's POV**  
'King,' I whispered, 'look.'  
The Bewilderbeast did so, and made his equivalent of a gasp.  
A young man was lying on the ground, another man next to him. The first one was clearly dead, but the other was not.  
'I-it's okay,' I gasped, although it was not. 'You just c-couldn't see him, before you aimed...'  
Why did I have to always be so forgiving?! The King had just killed someone, regardless if Bewilderbeasts have poor eyesight and hearing!  
'No, it's not okay!' I yelled. 'I _HATE_ you! You're no better than..._them_!'  
Suddenly, I heard something walking up to me. Instinctively, I panicked- but the footsteps sounded like dragons' claws, so I knew it was Cloudjumper. His presence calmed me.  
_I am sorry_, _Mistress_. _It was my fault_. _I asked you to call the Alpha_. _Anyway_, _the least we can do is give this man's companion a proper burial_.  
He sniffed the air suddenly, and his pupils turned to slits.  
_And we'd better do it quickly_, _for I smell_..._bad dragons_..._and ships_...  
The King inhaled again, and covered the dead man's body with a thick layer of ice. Thankfully, his eyes were closed.  
'It'll be just like Hel in there for him...where he belongs.' I snarled. Although he had died, he was still a dragon trapper.  
_**Little human**_, _**do not judge him too harshly**_. **_He_** had _**to trap dragons**_..._**he was following his boss's orders**_. _**If he did not**_,_**he would have had a far earlier death**_. _**Even if I had not killed him**_, _**we would have still taken the dragons back to the Sanctuary**_, _**and his boss would have killed him**_, _**as a punishment for his failure**_. _**Think of it like that**_.  
'Great boss.' I muttered.  
I glanced down at the other man. After looking closer, I realised it was the man with the skinny arms- the leader.  
'What about him?'  
_**He will have a lot of explaining to do to his boss**_, _**for the destroyed fort**_, _**his dead companion**_, _**and his lack of dragons**_.  
_Well said_, _King_. _But we will be the ones doing the explaining_, _if we do not get out of here_! _The smell is getting stronger_!  
_**You are right**_, _**Jumper of the Cloud**_. _**We should go**_.  
At the King's call, the dragons of the Sanctuary woke up, and started to fly towards him. I climbed onto Cloudjumper quickly, as he started to fly too, back to the Sanctuary.


	20. A Lot of Explaining

**Been four days since I last updated, because of this chapter...I was ready to post it, but then I just kept thinking of another idea... Thankfully, I didn't need to ask you guys for help again. So, here's Chapter Eighteen, finally!**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen - A Lot of Explaining **

**Eret's POV**  
I woke up, shivering. I was so cold... Looking down at my arms, legs, and body gave me the answer- they were covered in what looked like ice.  
But why?  
Suddenly, I remembered. _The ice-spitter_... _Ziist_..._dead_...  
_No _. It couldn't be true.  
But it was. His body was encased in ice.  
I looked around the beach, hoping to find the shapes of sleeping dragons.  
They weren't there.  
I rubbed my eyes, hoping that this was yet another thing that couldn't be true.  
But, like with Ziist's death, it was.  
There were absolutely no dragons on the beach.  
And I was going to have to pay for that...  
Well, Drago couldn't punish me, if he couldn't find me, I decided, and got up, and ran.  
The familiar sound of chains clanking, shouting, and dragons screaming entered my ears.  
How did he know I was here?  
Of course. The dragons.  
I ran into a cave inside the rocks. Just in time, too, because I heard footsteps.  
And the feet of which had made those steps, had stepped onto many dragons' snouts. While doing this, the owner of those feet had said, 'You belong to me now.'  
The footsteps stopped. I dared to peek out of the cave.  
Drago, and one of his soldiers were standing next to Ziist's body.  
'...Sir, why can't we just leave the trapper here?'  
Drago took a while before answering. The soldier gulped- when he didn't answer, it meant that he was very, very, angry with you.  
'_Do you know how important he is to me_?'  
'Um, yes.'  
'_Do you know that he is one of the best_, _if not_ the _best_, _trappers I have_?'  
'Yes.'  
'_Why did you question me_, _then_?'  
'I'm sorry, sir, I-'  
'_Do you know what happens to people who question me_?'  
'Yes, sir.'  
The nearby dragons' pupils were still docile. That was strange. Why weren't they slavering and snarling?  
'Go on,' Drago said quietly. 'Go over to them. They won't hurt you.'  
The soldier obligingly did as he was ordered, although he was shaking. Nervously, he put his foot lightly on a dragon's snout. The dragon didn't panic- he was used to this.  
A smile came over the soldier's face.  
'I'm controlling it, sir! I- I'm a dragon master too!' He was immediately silent after he'd realised what he'd said.  
What he didn't notice, was the cruel smile of evil intent that was on his boss's face. But I did.  
Drago walked over to the nearby sea, and waited. Eventually, the waves broke, and his Bewilderbeast came out.  
The soldier definitely noticed _this_. He stood, frozen in fear, as Drago pointed his staff to the huge dragon, and then to the smaller ones, the smile still on his face.  
The dragons' pupils immediately snapped to slits. The soldier just managed to get his foot off the dragon's snout before its jaws snapped onto the limb.  
They started to move towards him slowly, growling menacingly. The soldier backed away, pleading frantically.  
'N-nice dragons...n-nice dragons...please don't kill me...please...y-you wouldn't hurt me, would you...?'  
'They will...' Drago snarled, '...if it is the command of the Alpha. And no dragon can resist its command.'  
'Oh, no. Drago, please. You wouldn't feed your best soldier to the dragons, would you?'  
'The trapper is the best, and he is important to me. But you are not. And how would you be an example to those who question me, human...'  
'...And dragon?' he smiled in pure hatred at the beasts, who whimpered, understandably.  
The soldier continued pleading for his life.  
'_SILENCE!_' Drago screamed. The soldier stopped gabbling immediately. That was the usual effect.  
'This is for questioning me, and daring to think that you are a dragon master too. There is only one- and that is me- I alone, control them all. Goodbye.'  
'_Destroy him_.' he whispered to the dragons.  
The dragons immediately ran after the soldier, saliva hanging from their mouths. He didn't realise, that by running, he was triggering the dragons' predatory instincts- to chase, to hunt, to tear apart- which had been built into them before they had been changed by the Alpha's control- and the Alpha's control only magnified these instincts.  
You wouldn't want me to describe what happened to the soldier, believe me.  
Drago watched the dragons tear apart the soldier, and smiled- if you could even call it a smile- proudly at his killing machines.  
'Apology accepted.' he sneered to the pile of bones. He raised his head to the sky, as if he was going to speak to the gods- which he was.  
'Tell him I said that, would you?'  
'Yep,' I muttered, from the cave. 'He's definitely gone crazy- trying to speak to the gods.'  
But Drago had better hearing than I thought.  
'_WHAT_?!' he screamed, looking around to see where my voice was coming from. '_WHERE ARE YOU_?!'  
'I'm right here!' I called out, showing my face.  
He made a noise, something between a growl, and a scream, strangled in fury.  
It echoed across the beach, sounding like a dragon call.  
As it happened, it was a dragon call- a Monstrous Nightmare's.  
So, he had accidently screamed a Nightmare call...  
The only Nightmare in the group of Drago's dragons took to the sky.  
'_NO_! _NO_! _NO_!' he roared. '_CONTROL IT_! _MAKE IT COME BACK_!' he screamed at his Bewilderbeast, which was the closest thing that he could yell at.  
Of course, the next thing he would yell at would probably be me. I prepared for my eardrums to explode.  
Stupidly, I guaranteed the explosion of my eardrums (and, probably, also my death), by interjecting helpfully,  
'You're going to hurt your throat, or give yourself a headache if you carry on screaming like that.'  
He stopped in the middle of roaring, in the absolute height of his fury, '_GET AFTER IT_!' to his dragons, with terrifying abruptness.  
'_Were you trying to tell me what to do_, _boy_?' he snarled, finally seeing me, and picking me up by my shirt.  
'Um, no, sir...'  
He growled again, and put the claws of his dragon hand to my throat. I looked up into his scarred face- which was all I could do, because he'd grabbed me by the neck, and forced me to- and saw his eyes, burning with fury.  
I had a terrible feeling that he really was going to rip my throat out- but then, the fury in his eyes faded. Drago had controlled his anger.  
'I will deal with you later.' he growled, dropping me onto the sand. 'You have a dragon to find for me. And if you fail this...' he trailed off threateningly, putting emphasis on 'fail', as if it was the worst thing I could do.  
Which, knowing- or not knowing, which was probably worse- what Drago would do to me if I did indeed fail, was more than correct.  
And he'd already come close to killing me, just a few seconds ago, although he'd controlled his anger. But I didn't think he would be so merciful again, especially if I failed.  
'What's my reward?' I asked.  
Drago seemed surprised at my daring to ask for a reward.  
'Your life.' he snarled. 'You're lucky you still have it.'  
Not wanting to anger him further, I climbed onto one of the waiting dragons, a warning glare from Drago forcing me to do so. The beasts were eager to hunt the Nightmare, to tear it from the sky, in the bloodthirsty frenzy of the Alpha's control, so they took to the sky, instinctively knowing what their master wanted them to do, before he even screamed the command at them.


	21. How to Discover an Island

**I am such an idiot! :( I posted this on Berk's Grapevine last night, but I forgot to post it here... :( But, anyway... finally updating again after four days! Sorry I haven't done it sooner, but I had school on Thursday, and Friday. I guess I could have done it yesterday, but... *trails off* Anyway, here you go!**

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen - How to Discover an Island**

**Eret's POV  
**The group of dragons I was flying with picked up speed, as they saw the Monstrous Nightmare, and the dragon that I was riding on wanted to as well, but it couldn't, because I was holding onto it tightly. So, it tried to buck me off instead- unsuccessfully.  
'If you don't stop, I'll tell your master about this.' I threatened.  
Instantly, the dragon stopped. It looked up at me apolegetically, and through its slitted pupils, though burning with the anger and misery of the Alpha's control, I could still see one emotion- which was what kept it obedient to Drago.  
Fear.  
It whimpered, and I met its terrified gaze sternly.  
Then it looked back and saw its fellow dragons, and continued the chase as much as it could, with me still holding onto its neck.  
Eventually, once we'd passed the mist, I saw a small island, the sounds of bleating sheep echoing in the night air.  
Wait, none of the islands around here had sheep. Where was I?  
In my mind's eye, I pictured the huge map that Drago had of the known world. Every time he recruited some new soldiers, he added their island onto the map. He'd told me that he had discovered most of the world by doing this, and, of course, his conquests.  
The location of one of his most important (if not _the_ most important) conquests he'd ever done, was labelled 'The Bewilderbeast's Nesting Site'. He'd proceeded to tell me how he'd found his Bewilderbeast there as an egg, in fake sympathy for the miserable dragon.  
There was a compass in the corner of the map, and these lands were east. To the north, was labelled 'The Viking Lands', which included the burnt ruins of the Chieftains' Meeting building, which Drago had scribbled out.  
There was also an island, right at the bottom of the north parts, labelled 'The Isle of Berk'.  
It seemed to match the picture well enough.  
So, this was Berk. But how had we flown this far north?  
This thought was interrupted by something flying past me, very fast, but despite this, I managed to see a shadowy figure on the winged creature.  
A dragon rider...?

* * *

**Hiccup's POV**  
Suddenly, Toothless slowed down, and started looking around, growling uncertainly.  
'Whoa, bud, what is it?' I asked him.  
As if in answer, a dragon came out of the mist- and it had a rider. The dragon was a Nadder, so I immediately thought it was Astrid. Well, only one way to find out.  
I got Toothless to fly above the dragon, and he grabbed the rider in his claws.  
'PUT ME DOWN!' they screamed.  
'Not until you tell us who you are.' Astrid said, and I saw her flying beside us on Stormfly.  
'I'M NOT TELLING YOU!'  
She shrugged her shoulders innocently.  
'Well, if you won't tell us...Chief Stoick will get it out of you.'  
The rider stopped screaming.  
'Wait- _Chief_ Stoick? You're Vikings, right?'  
'You're not telling us who you are, so why should we tell you who we are?'  
'Because- because- these dragons will tear you apart if you don't.' The rider took one arm off Toothless's leg, and gestured to the dragons that were following behind us, anger in their eyes.  
'Oh, please,' Tuff sneered. 'We're dragon masters.'  
Astrid glared at Tuff.  
'Haven't you learnt anything about telling people our dragon secrets, since Heather?'  
'But she turned out good in the end.'  
'Yes, but before that, she was working for the Outcasts. And I have a feeling this guy might be too.'  
'You!' she snapped at the rider. 'Know anybody called Alvin the Treacherous? From the Outcast tribe, tall, brown beard, scar on one cheek?'  
'Nope.' the rider denied.  
'Maybe this will help you remember him...' Astrid snarled, putting the blade of her axe to his throat.  
'Astrid!' I scolded, shocked. 'Leave him alone.'  
'Sorry, Hiccup.' she apologized.  
'It's okay, Astrid. I'm just worried that you might kill someone by doing that.'  
'Stop talking! Look, I swear to the gods, I don't know anybody called Alvin!' the rider interrupted.  
'If you're not working for him, who are you working for?' I asked.  
'Hey, guys!' Tuff shouted. 'We're supposed to be taking this guy to Stoick, remember?'  
'Oh. You're right, Tuff. Let's go, guys.'  
'Yeah, I know. I'm always right.' Tuff retorted, but I couldn't be bothered to reply.  
'I still don't trust him.' Astrid protested, as we were flying off, the rider still in Toothless's claws.


	22. Scars, and Mind-Controlled Nightmares

**After a month and a day of not updating this, here you go! :P**

* * *

**Eret's POV**  
The rider they had called 'Tuff' had reminded the blonde girl, and the lead rider, that they were meant to be taking me to their Chief, but they hadn't done that at all. Instead, they had flown on their dragons to an arena-like place, which had metal bars criss-crossing the top of it.  
As they approached the entrance, I could see a sign above the entrance- it looked like a dragon. The dragon was black, and curled up. This must have been the symbol of this place. Below that, there were letters, which I couldn't read, although I recognized them to be runes, which read: Berk 'Dragon Training Academy'.  
They flew through the entrance, which was sloped, and had a metal gate for a door. I was dropped roughly onto the floor- but Drago's done that to me a few times, too. Drago's dragons stayed at the entrance, growling menacingly.  
The lead rider got off his dragon, which was growling too.  
'Hey, it's okay, bud.' he said to it, so quietly it was practically a whisper. I wondered if there was perhaps some threat in there- another thing I've gotten used to with Drago- but no, it seemed as if he was genuinely trying to be kind. And he'd called it 'bud', too- which is not normally something you'd say if you were angry.  
Then, even more amazingly, _he actually put his hand on the beast's nose_. Not his foot, but his _hand_. _And it didn't bite it off_.  
The rider must have noticed my astonishment, because he grabbed my arm, in one small, skinny, hand, and helped me up, smiling.  
'It's amazing, isn't it?' he asked, probably not expecting me to respond in the way I did.  
I yanked my arm away from his hand.  
'_No_! It's not amazing! You're doing it all wrong! You're meant to put your _foot_ on its nose, not your _hand_! Dragons aren't_equals_! They're _below_ humans! And what're you doing _talking_ to it?! You're meant to yell, and scream at it. They won't listen to you, otherwise!'  
The rider didn't say anything, all through my outburst- just blinked a few times, as if he couldn't understand what I was saying.  
'But that's..._cruel_...' he said quietly, in shock.  
'_Cruel_?! Who cares if it's _cruel_?!'  
'I do...' he squeaked.  
'I don't care about what a little runt like you thinks!'  
His dragon growled, and terror made me stop. The only reaction the rider made to my comment, was going over to the beast, and trying to soothe it again.  
'I wouldn't call Hiccup a runt, if I were you.' she said dangerously.  
'Hiccup?! He's called _Hiccup_?! Awwwww, is it to keep all the little trolls and gnomes away- _OWWWWW_!' I howled, as the blonde girl twisted my wrist, and made me fall sideways to the ground.  
'_Astrid_...' Hiccup said warningly. 'Don't make me tell you again.'  
'Fine. But I'm not helping him up.' she decided.  
'Point taken. You don't like him.'  
'The feeling's mutual.' I muttered.  
She lunged towards me, as if she was going to hurt me again, but this time, I cowered away- yet another thing I had learnt from working for Drago.  
Hiccup walked over to me, and started talking to me soothingly, like he'd done to his dragon.  
'Hey, it's okay. Come with me, and I'll show you something.'  
He grabbed my arm, once again, and this time, I didn't pull away, like a naughty child. But even if I had, it wouldn't have worked- the boy was stronger that he looked.  
Once I was upright again, he walked towards the other riders, who were assembled in front of him, like he was the teacher, and they were the pupils.  
'Okay, guys. There's some dragons at the entrance of the academy-'  
'Yeah, thanks for stating the obvious, Hiccup.' The rider they had called 'Tuff' said sarcastically.  
'So, anyway, before I was so rudely interrupted-' he glared at Tuff- '-could someone open the gate to the Academy?' Hiccup asked.  
'I'll do it.' the stocky rider volunteered. He jogged over to the gate, and flexed his muscles, before opening the gate, grunting- but afterwards, acting like it was no effort at all- and running back to where Hiccup and the other riders were, before he was killed by crazy dragons.  
Hiccup walked towards the dragons, calmly, not yelling, or growling at them. The dragons looked slightly confused, but also relived, at his lack of this.  
All except one dragon- a Monstrous Nightmare. It came scuttling towards him, intent on killing Hiccup, but still he did not scream at it. He placed a hand on its neck, just before it leapt on him, and it, too, looked confused that he was not screaming at it, before closing its eyes, and growling in pleasure.  
Hiccup was scratching the Nightmare's neck, moving his hands over to a particular part of it, and he scratched this part.  
The Nightmare made a noise of surprise, and the dragon's pupils, now full, not slitted from the Bewilderbeast's control, rolled over in its eyes, and its body, too, rolled over, onto the ground.  
I gasped.  
'Did you kill it...?'  
Hiccup turned around.  
'No, it's sleeping.'  
'But...why didn't you use a dart?'  
'Because we don't have them here, although you probably do, where you come from. Besides, even if we did, we wouldn't use them- there's much better ways to pacify a dragon, and the way I just demonstrated is just one of them.'  
'Oh,' I replied.  
Hiccup knelt down next to the Nightmare, and started to examine it. He gasped in horror, suddenly.  
'_Scars_... and they look like they're claw-marks...'  
Fishlegs came and knelt down next to Hiccup.  
'Hiccup, they're probably just from dragon-fights.' he reasoned.  
'But these scars are all in a specific place around his body. If he'd got in a dragon-fight, his opponent would just slash its claws randomly. So it can't be a dragon... it has to have been a human.'  
'But _what human_ would have _claws_, instead of fingers?' the blonde rider asked. She went over to me, and glanced at my hands, as if checking that I didn't have claws hidden behind my fingernails.  
'Well, _he_ certainly doesn't.' Tuff pointed out.  
'_Thanks for stating the obvious_.' I mimicked what he'd said to Hiccup earlier.  
'Wait... are you trying to make fun of me...? No, you couldn't be. That voice doesn't even sound like me.'  
I ignored him, and focused on what Hiccup was saying.  
'I- I don't know. Maybe Gobber's got a new prosthetic...? But he wouldn't be that cruel, to deliberately scar a dragon. _Nobody_on Berk would. Except-'  
'Mildew.' the blonde rider finished for him.  
'But he threw the Zippleback feet into the ocean!'  
'Good point.'  
'I think the best thing to do would be to ask my dad.' Hiccup decided, and went back to examining the dragon. He opened one of its eyelids, and gasped again.  
The Nightmare's pupils had gone back to slits.  
'Astrid, do you remember when we went to the Dragons' Nest?' Hiccup asked.  
'Yes.'  
'Well, when Toothless was in there, his pupils had turned to slits, too... And we could hear that strange humming sound.'  
'Yes.' she repeated.  
'So, I think that humming sound might have been the Red Death's 'song'. It... it was controlling Toothless.'  
His dragon snarled, at the mention of this dragon, that sounded a lot like a Bewilderbeast.  
'So... what are you saying?'  
'I'm saying that I think this dragon might be controlled, too... But the Red Death is dead. So what could be controlling it?'  
He turned to me, as if expecting me to give the answer, which I didn't.  
'Okay, so he's giving us the silent treatment. Great. Luckily, I have more important things to deal with...'  
Hiccup turned away, and approached the other dragons, who bowed their heads, expecting a foot to be placed onto them.  
'Um...I think you broke them, Hiccup...' Tuff remarked.  
'Yeah. I think I did... or someone else did. They've been tamed before. Wild dragons wouldn't do that...'  
'But _who_ tamed them?' The blonde rider was asking me, rather than Hiccup. She walked up to me threateningly.  
'We'll just put you in jail until you tell us.'  
'Whoa, whoa, Astrid. I'm sorry, but you're not the Chief. My dad is. He'll decide what'll happen to him. But before we do that, we need to-'  
Before Hiccup had even finished talking, the dragons went into the open cages around the 'Academy', as if they knew what he was going to say.  
'-get the dragons into their cages.' he finished. 'Well, I guess we don't need to do that anymore. Come on, guys, we're going to see my dad.'  
The blonde rider climbed onto her dragon, and got it to take off- but it wasn't moving. I was just wondering why, when suddenly, I felt myself being lifted off the ground, and I felt the dragon's claws cutting into my arms.  
'Just in case you refuse to come with us.' she told me, and then the dragon flew off, following behind the other riders.

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**I'll also be writing the first chapter of 'The Boy' later! ;)**


	23. Talking to the Chief

**Just telling you now; I have big plans for this fanfic, which were thought of today! ;)**

* * *

**Stoick's POV**  
I heard dragons landing outside the Great Hall, so I got up from the bench I was sitting on, and walked over to the double doors.  
They were opened, and Hiccup and the other kids walked in... but Astrid was pushing in a stranger, pressing the blade of her axe to his throat as she did so.  
'Leave him, Astrid.'  
'Sorry, Chief.' she apologized, and released both her axe and her arms from him.  
'It's alright. Now, Hiccup, what did you come to see me for?'  
'Well, first of all, this guy here-' he pointed to the stranger. 'Toothless and I, and the other riders, captured him, and brought him to the Academy. He had some dragons following behind him in the sky, when me and Toothless abducted him from his dragon- a Nadder.'  
I stroked my beard suspiciously.  
'We let the dragons into the Academy, and when I started walking up to them, they looked confused, but they didn't attack- all except a Nightmare, which I pacified. I examined it, and opened one of its eyelids. The pupils were slits. Me and Astrid think that something might be controlling it, because Toothless's pupils looked similar when he was being controlled by the Red Death in the Dragons' Nest.'  
'The big dragon?'  
'Yes. But that can't be possible, because it's dead! So there has to be some other dragon controlling it... but what could it be? We asked the stranger this, but he gave us the silent treatment.'  
'What else did you find?'  
'Well, this was the last thing I was going to talk to you about.'  
'Go on.'  
'We found scars on the Nightmare. But they couldn't have been from a dragonfight, because if it did get them in a dragonfight, the opponent would just slash its claws randomly, not in a specific spot. So, I think the only explaination is that it got those scars from human claws... because the human was being cruel to them. But what human would have claws for fingers? I don't know anybody on the island who does, though.'  
I was silent.  
'Oh, and one more thing.'  
I didn't reply.  
'When I walked up to the other dragons again, this time, they bowed their heads. Wild dragons don't do that. It's almost as if they've been tamed before...'  
'Broken.' Tuffnut interrupted.  
Hiccup sighed.  
'Yes, Tuffnut; broken. And when I said that we needed to get the dragons in their cages, they went into them before I'd even finished what I said.'  
Hiccup had been so busy talking, that he didn't even notice my silence until he finished.  
'Dad...?' he asked worriedly, waving a hand in front of my face.'  
'I'm fine, Hiccup!'  
'Okay. So, what do you think?'  
Claws instead of fingers...the dragons had bowed their heads... These pieces of evidence added up to something I didn't, couldn't think about...  
'Hiccup. Put the Academy on lockdown- Arvendil's Fire- style.'  
'With the super-cool secret bunker?' Tuffnut interrupted again.  
'No.'  
His face fell.  
'Anyway, lock up all the dragons, and the stranger too. I'll question him personally later.'  
'Dad?' Hiccup asked. 'Will Toothless be locked up, too?'  
'No, son. He's too important.'  
'So our dragons aren't?' Astrid demanded angrily.  
'No, Astrid. You don't need to worry about them. They'll be safe. Besides, I don't think Toothless'd like being locked up again, after his- and Hiccup's- experience with the Outcasts.'  
'Okay, sir. Is that all your orders?'  
'Yes.'  
Astrid nodded, and proceeded to press the blade of her axe to the stranger's throat again, and push him out of the Hall.  
With the kids gone, I sat down heavily on the bench, and digested this latest terrifying piece of information...  
...The only man I knew who had claws instead of fingers, at least on one of his hands, and claimed he could control dragons, just like Hiccup could, was...  
Drago Bludvist. Those dragons, that were following behind the stranger when Hiccup and Toothless abducted him from his dragon, might have been his.  
In which case, he was the kind of man I knew who would not take kindly to us 'stealing' his dragons.


	24. An Intruder to the Academy

**Hiccup's POV**  
'Okay, guys. I'd say we're just about done locking up the Academy- and the dragons.'  
The other riders looked sadly at their dragons inside their cages, and the dragons did the same.  
'Don't worry, guys. It's for the best. And anyway, my dad said that as soon as we're done locking up the Academy, we should go back to our houses, and lock them up too. So, come on.' I climbed onto Toothless.  
'Hey! Don't leave me!' the stranger called from inside his prison.  
I ignored him, and I flew back to my house, while the others walked.  
**Eret's POV**  
I awoke suddenly, much later, very late at night.  
Maybe my brain had woken me up because it knew I would be in danger.  
As it turned out, it was right.  
Drago's dragons, as well as the riders' ones, sniffed the air anxiously.  
The dragons that belonged to Drago, as I had witnessed him telling many of them, whimpered, and put their heads down onto the floor. But the riders' dragons roared, and growled, sensing danger, like I did.  
Two huge shapes walked into the Academy, noses to the ground.  
Rumblehorns. He had used them to track us.  
The dragons stopped at each cage, sniffing around. When they caught the scent of the other dragons, inside, they grunted in delight.  
The owner of the claw, which was used to unlock the doors, did much the same.  
Quickly, silently, every single dragon was released, except the riders' ones, and a foot was placed onto their snout.  
'You may have been stolen from me, but you are still mine.' he reminded the dragons.  
I could see his boots, made with the fur of a black bear, walking towards my prison.  
Suddenly, out of the darkness, there came a claw, which ripped my furs, and found its way to my throat.  
Drago made a sound between a growl and a chuckle, at my terror.  
'You have been selling my dragons to _them_...' he snarled.  
'N-no, Drago, of course not, it wasn't like that...' I choked.  
'Are you calling me a liar...?'  
'No...'  
'Good. But if you are not calling me a liar..._WHY ARE MY DRAGONS IN THOSE CAGES_?!' he roared.  
'They... they... captured... me... and... they... locked... them up...here...' I gasped, struggling to breathe.  
'And... that's... not... the only... thing... they... have... locked up...here...'  
Drago released his claw from my throat.  
The Rumblehorns hadn't sniffed the riders' dragons out, because they didn't know their scent. And it was impossible to tell if anything was in the cages, because it was too dark in there.  
Pulling a lantern containing Fireworms out of his cape, and hanging it onto his staff, Drago shined the light into each of the cages, until he found the riders' dragons.  
He smiled, and motioned for the disguised soldiers to shoot.  
The now sleeping dragons were dragged out of their cages.  
'Take them to the ship.' Drago growled.  
Once the soldiers had gone, he put his claw to my throat again.  
'For showing me where the thieves' dragons were, boy, I will let you live. They will be valuable to me, and so will you... for now. But that doesn't mean that your attempt at running away, and trying to sell my dragons to _them_, will go unpunished. I just haven't decided how I will make you pay yet.'  
He smiled menacingly, as he had an idea.  
'For now, until I decide, you will be in prison with the thieves' dragons, looking after them.'  
I nodded, as much as I could, and there was little else I could do.  
'Good to know you agree with me. I _hate_ it when people don't, as the Viking Chieftains learned.'  
He growled, in gruesome happiness of that memory, and released me again.  
With the claw that he had held my furs with, he unlocked my prison door, and grabbed me again, flinging me onto the cold, stone floor of the Academy.  
I was winded by this, so I didn't get up immediately, as he'd expected me to.  
He grabbed me by the back of my furs with his metal arm, and lifted me onto my feet.  
Then he whacked me around the head, with the same arm, to get me walking.  
So, with my head bleeding, and the blood dripping down onto the floor of the Academy, I followed Drago to his ship.


	25. Detective Work

**Hiccup's POV**

I was awoken by the sound of Toothless whining, and pawing at my bedroom door as if he was a dog.  
'What is it, bud?' I asked tiredly.  
He bounded over to me urgently, and gently took my good foot in his mouth, pulling on it slightly, as if he was trying to get me out of bed.  
In good-natured bewilderment, I did what he wanted, and opened the door for him too.  
Running out of it immediately, he stopped at the stairs, and made a noise, as if he wanted me to follow.  
'Do you want to go out flying, bud, is that it? You must be really bored; we've been cooped up all night, like chickens. But it's only because Dad's paranoid-'  
I stopped talking, as the thought came to me that perhaps Dad wasn't so paranoid after all. Toothless had been trying to warn me, and it wasn't the first time he'd done something like this.  
The time before, I hadn't listened. But now I would. I had to.  
'Come on, bud.' I said, climbing onto his back, and clicking my foot into the stirrup, with as much urgency as the speed Toothless was flying.  
We stopped at each of the riders' houses, each of them annoyed to be woken up, but their faces turned pale with fear for their dragons when I told them what I thought Toothless had sensed.  
I gave Astrid a taxi ride on Toothless's back to the Academy, because if something had happened, she was the best person to come with me.  
As I'd feared, something _had_ happened.  
The dragons, every single one, had gone.  
And there was some blood on the ground, next to the stranger's prison.  
Astrid yelled in rage, and started swinging her axe wildly around her head, somewhat frighteningly resembling the person who I would later find out to be the one who had taken the dragons, shouting:  
'He took Stormfly! I swear to Odin, when I find him, I am going to _MURDER_ him, like he murdered the dragons!'  
'Whoa, whoa, whoa, Astrid,' I said calmly, quelling her rage slightly. 'Let's just calm down. Okay?'  
'Okay.' She certainly didn't _look_ like she was planning to calm down, but, nonetheless, I continued.  
'He hasn't _murdered_ the dragons; that's _human_ blood, not _dragon_ blood. And I've seen enough of mine to know the difference.'  
'It's true! Hiccup, remember that time when we were five, and we were playing boar-in-the-middle with rocks-'  
'Yes, Tuffnut, and I don't really want, or need, to be reminded of that- wait; Tuff, you're a genius!' I exclaimed.  
'I know. We knew that already, but _you_ probably discovered it when we had the Eel Effect.'  
'Yeah, whatever... Anyway...' I sighed, more exsasperated with Tuff now than happy with him.  
'When Ruff and Tuff hit me in the head with those rocks, there was a lot of blood- like there is on the ground. And a rock is a heavy object. So, it looks like the stranger- I'm guessing it's the stranger, because the blood's the closest to his prison- was hit with a heavy object. And one of the rocks that hit me was sharp, and it cut slashes in my head. I think that the stranger must have been hit with something sharp, too... but what?'  
'Claws...?' Astrid suggested nervously.  
'Yeah, maybe. But we know that the stranger doesn't have claws- at least, I don't think he does- he wouldn't hit and claw himself in the head. So it had to be someone else that did it... someone who was angry at him... and now that we know that those scars on the Nightmare were made by someone who had claws instead of fingers on one of their hands, I'm guessing that that hand is also metal. It would have to be, to draw that much blood from the stranger's head.  
'But why would the person be angry at the stranger...?' I asked, more to myself than Astrid.  
'Because... you saw the way he scarred the Nightmare, Hiccup. He must think that he can treat dragons how he wants... because they belong to him- that's why they bowed their heads when you walked up to them... they've been tamed before, like you said; you were right...'  
'And the dragons that were following behind the stranger in the sky when we found him... must belong to the person, too.' I realised.  
'And we brought his dragons to the Academy, and we locked them up- well, actually, they locked themselves up- and then we went to Dad, and he told us to lock _our_ dragons up... and now, they're gone. So, the person must have broken into the Academy some time last night, and taken his dragons... our dragons... and the stranger.'  
'Wow, how did you get all that from a pool of blood?!' Tuff asked; he'd clearly not been listening.  
'Never mind...' I sighed, muttering, 'It's probably too complicated for your brain to follow anyway...'  
Tuff didn't hear, luckily.  
'Look, all we need to do right now, is go down to the docks and steal a ship. Hopefully, if we hurry, we can steal it before my dad gets up for Chiefing.'  
'So, where are we going, Hiccup?' Tuff asked again.  
'We're going to save our dragons.'

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**Sorry if you found Hiccup's detective work somewhat confusing :P; I find it hard to explain things like that. :P**


	26. Back on Drago's Ship

**Hey, guys! Here's the next chapter! But first, I'd like to talk about what's going to happen in it, which I never do. :P  
Because I was curious to find out what the proper name for Drago's dragonskin is, I Googled the difference between a cloak and a cape. It turns out that Drago's dragonskin is actually a cloak, because unlike a cape, cloaks usually go past the thighs, and a cape usually doesn't, and cloaks tend to often be floor-length, or even trail the floor. Drago's dragonskin is quite long; I remember seeing that it reached his boots in one particular shot. And historically, cloaks have been used as a status symbol for social class. Drago is the commander of a dragon and human army, and he's also apparently strong enough to take down a Night Fury, so wearing the skin of that dragon would be a way for him to show his status, and it would also be a trophy. So, that's why I call it a cloak instead of a cape in this chapter, and I'll continue to do that. )  
But, back to discussing the chapter, which I still haven't done... :P  
There's a bit of Stormfly-Eret bonding in this chapter. Hey, I had to include it somehow, didn't I? :D And, at the end of this chapter, you'll probably go 0_o :P . After I wrote that part, I saved the chapter, and closed Wordpad, but it just seemed like a bit of a dark way to end the chapter, so I added a bit, and ended it on a happy note! :D** **But, discussing the chapter aside, here it is! ;)**

* * *

******Eret's POV**  
I froze, and my blood ran cold again, just as it did when I heard this sound in the Berkian prison.  
A claw, unlocking the door to my prison, which was on the ship that belonged to the man who was about to enter, and had the metal hand, which had not only that claw on it, but four more.  
Drago smiled when he saw me, huddled up in a corner of the prison, terrified that he'd come to give me my punishment.  
'Not yet.' he confirmed, as if he could read my thoughts; and this seemed like a fittingly sinister thing for him to be able to do.  
He walked over to the Nadder, and loomed over it. The dragon was the equivalent to a hedgehog, what with the darts sticking out of every part of its body, as did the other dragons, and so it couldn't have logically been conscious enough to sense the gigantic man standing over it, but even so, it made a tiny sound; a groan.  
Its wings and feet were bound with strong, metal, fireproof chains, which had barbs along them; the only reason being, seemingly, to scar, and cause as much pain to, whatever was bound with it as much as possible, even, if in a dragon's case, it wasn't conscious enough to sense them, and its mouth was covered with a fireproof muzzle. The other dragons had these things too.  
Drago, apparently, wasn't satisfied that the dragons, more specifically, the Nadder, couldn't feel the torture instruments that bound them. He kicked the Nadder.  
'Wake up,' he growled.  
'_WAKE UP_!' he roared, obviously knowing that the dragon couldn't hear him, but the fact that it was refusing to obey a command- and he _hated_ that, from both human and dragon- was enough to make him scream at it, because he loved screaming, and probably just wanted a reason to scream at a dragon, and possibly, if the Nadder still refused to obey the command, gods forbid, kill it as a punishment.  
I just hoped that death wasn't going to be _my_ punishment. Better the Nadder than me.  
But instead of killing the Nadder, he knelt down, next to its tail, which contained as many darts as it was covered in, and pulled a spine, unsurprisingly choosing to still cause the dragon pain for refusing to obey a command, although it was not the pain of death.  
I wanted to warn Drago of what was going to happen, but I didn't for two reasons; if I dared to speak, he would scream at me, too, or change his mind and give me my punishment right here and now, and, knowing dragons as he did, he probably knew what the Nadder was going to do, anyway.  
Instinctively, sensing even through unconsciousness that something was touching its spines, the dragon raised them, and prepared to shoot them at its attacker.  
With the quickness that only a man who had been fighting dragons all his life, since he was a boy, and lost everything to them, Drago dodged the spines- well, almost. The point of a spine just glanced off his human hand, and for the few seconds that it had been there, it had created a deep gash- adding another scar to the ones which already covered his hands, face, and arms.  
'_AAAAAHHHHH_!' he yelped, but despite the pain, still managing to knock out the Nadder again with his metal arm, causing a terrible grin of pleasure at the yelp of pain the dragon shared too, before becoming unconscious again.  
He wrapped his hand in his cloak, with the expression of pain replacing the one of pleasure, walking out, and slamming the prison door behind him, with a clang as loud as his yelp of pain- but forgetting to lock the door. He couldn't have done it anyway, as his metal hand could only _un_lock doors, and his _human hand_ wasn't in _any_ condition to be doing _anything_, wrapped up in his cloak as it was, let alone locking doors.  
Suddenly, inspiration of how I could get out came to me, but I got that thought out of my head as quickly as I could, in case Drago used his apparent thought-reading trick again, or remembered that he hadn't locked the door. The latter was more likely to happen.  
Instead, I turned my thoughts and my head to the Nadder, which was lying on the ground, its jaw flowering from white to purple with a bruise, which would soon develop into a scar, as Ziist had taught me.  
Feeling saddened by his memory, I touched the Stormcutter medal which he'd given me.  
Eventually, my thoughts returned to escape, once again- but I thought about the dragons.  
Why was I thinking about _them_ for?! I didn't care what happened to them. Drago could do what he wanted to them- which he'd already done to the Nadder.  
Well, I guess I maybe did feel a _little_ sorry for the Nadder. But not for the others. Definitely not for the others.  
As if on cue, the Nadder stirred slightly, and with a forked-tongue yawn, it woke up. The other dragons did, too. Their eyes looked so _sad_, as if they wanted their masters and mistresses, and knew that I wasn't any of them. And their masters and mistresses definitely wanted their dragons, too.  
It was then that I made my decision.  
I walked over to the Nadder, but, as I was expecting it to, it didn't cower. It would soon learn to do that, if it didn't escape, though.  
Looking into the dragon's eyes (which was a mistake, as a dragon's eyes are hypnotic, and I felt dizzy afterwards), I whispered to it, and all of them:  
'I _will_ get you out of here.'  
As I said these words, sudden ispiration came to me once again, and I got up, opening the prison door as quietly as I could, and walked out, looking around me, in case anybody was there- especially a madman wearing a dragonskin cloak.  
Once I judged the coast was clear, I walked along the line of cells containing sad dragons, intending to go to the blacksmith ship.  
What I didn't realise, on my way there as I was, was that I should have looked behind me.  
For _behind_ me was a man who was silent and sneaky, and hid in the shadows and darkness.  
He revealed his face, which he had covered up to avoid being seen by me, which was as covered in scars as ever, and had piercing green eyes.  
And his mouth, which was still set in pain from the gash in his hand, released an amused growl from his throat.  
All of these things; his silentness and sneakiness, his hiding in the shadows and darkness, his piercing green eyes, his growling, all of these things, were things that he had, terrifyingly, in common with the dragon whose skin he was cloaked in.  
And I didn't know it at the time, but a dragon which was the same species as the one which was now a cloak, had a rider on its back. And that rider, and all the other riders, who had lost their dragons, were coming to save what was rightfully theirs.


	27. Of Legends and Punishments

**I've finally updated Dragons, Trappers, Masters after 20 days :O ! Here are my reasons for not doing so sooner...**

**-I broke the hinge on my laptop lid (WHY DID I _DO_ THAT?!), and my dad's been gluing it back together for me.**

**-I had to go and stay somewhere for a day on Monday half term, and when my dad came to pick me up from said place :P and we were leaving, his car motor didn't start. Which meant that he had to call my mum to come and pick us up in ****_her_**** car, and we had to leave his car behind. By the time we got back home, it was about 9:00, which meant that I only had an hour and a half before I had to go to bed.**

**Wednesday half term- Because my dad was starting his new job, it meant that me and my mum had to get up early (which I like doing anyway :P) to drive him there. After doing that, we went to the place where my dad's car had been left, and called a garage to fix it. They came and took his car away, and we waited for a phonecall from them to say that the car had been fixed.**  
**Anyway, we waited a long time, until we got a phonecall saying that the problem with the car was a sensory thing in the motor and they also said that the latest that it'd be done by was 4 o'clock. We went to a garden centre to pass the time, and at 5 o'clock, we went to pick up my dad from work, and drove to the garage to get his car. He got in it, and drove home, and I had a chicken fillet burger from the KFC drive-thru. Then, finally, it was ****_our_ turn to drive home, by which time I think it was like 8:00. But I couldn't go on my laptop to work on this fanfic, because my dad was still repairing it.**

**Hours in car= Five and a half. :O  
So, to put it simply, I've had a busy couple of days. :P**

**-And also, not going to give any spoilers :P, but, relating to the story's plot (no, I haven't got writers' block or anything! :P), I did have something that I wanted to do, and I had how I was going to do that all figured out, but now I've thought of a better idea, and so I want to use that one... which means that I'll have to figure out how that's going to work, too.**  
**But what I'll do is, I'll post all my ideas for what's going to happen next, and I'll let you guys decide which one is best! )**

**-I've been changing the plot of what's going to happen next a lot, but I will post my drafts. I think the one I've chosen is the best, because it had a lot more options and potential chapters as a result.**

**-I actually finished the next chapter a while ago, but I didn't post it, because I wanted to write the "potential chapters". I just felt like I had to write the plot of the idea that I chose before I posted the next chapter. Sorry for my OCD. :D**  
**-Because I've been writing the potential chapters, they tended to get kind of mixed up, so I organised them, which took even more time.**

**So, now you've heard my reasons, I'll get on with what's going to happen in the chapter- there's going to be a new OC, albeit a minor one, as his only appearance is in this chapter, so I'm not sure if he counts as an OC. :/ Still, et me know what you think of him! :D  
**  
**Anyway, here's the (really long) chapter!**

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**Chapter Twenty-Five - Of Legends and Punishments  
Eret's POV**  
I scurried along the circular, planked boardwalk around Drago's fleet of ships. There was a ramp leading down to each ship, one of which was metal and fireproof- this lead to the blacksmith ship.  
My boots made a lot of noise as I walked along the metal plank, which made my stomach jump with terror after every step. Any second now I might be grabbed by a metal, clawed hand, and I would hear a growl of disapproval.  
Thank the gods, this didn't happen.  
I knocked on the door- this was also metal and fireproof- of the little cabin on the ship which served as the forge.  
The blacksmith didn't come to the door. Instead of hearing footsteps, I heard a hammer banging against metal.  
I inhaled, and shouted as loud as I dared.  
'_HEIMIIK_!'  
My voice echoed terrifyingly around the camp.  
Finally, I heard the sound of hammer ringing against metal stopping, with one final, loud, clang, and heavy footsteps coming towards the door.  
I swallowed hard.  
Relief washed over Heimiik the blacksmith's face, as he opened the door to see that it was me, not Drago. This look was quickly disguised by sternness, and he snapped:  
'What are you doing here, boy? Don't you know what Drago'll do to both of us if he catches you out here?! You're meant to be looking after the thieves' dragons!'  
He ended this sentence by yanking me inside the forge, and once we were inside, he drew himself up to his full height, which was as tall as Drago, glaring at me sternly.  
For a second, his sad, tired face, scarred from sparks from the forge, morphed into Drago's.  
'Uh... well, Heimiik, I've come to get... a needle and thread.'  
'Fine.' he grunted. 'Look through the drawers on the worktable. I've got ten more dragons' armour to make by tomorrow!' he finished, going back to his anvil.  
'Right.' I replied. I made to go over to the worktable, and look through the chests of drawers, as he'd said, but I just couldn't help but look around the forge instead.  
Dragonskin covered every surface in the forge, although everything was fireproof anyway; Drago couldn't afford for this place to burn down. The forge was the place where everything in his army was made; weapons, dragons' armour, war machines, everything. I understood why Drago pushed the blacksmith so hard.  
'How many dragons were murdered to ensure that this forge was completely fireproof?' I wondered.  
'Too many to say. I watched them all die.' I expected there to be bloodthirsty, vicious glee in Heimiik's tone, but there was only sadness.  
'Oh.' I said.  
I walked over to a Stormcutter skin, and examined it.  
'That,' Heimiik informed me, without turning around, 'is the skin of the Stormcutter that murdered the last leader of the trappers. The story of how he died has sort of become a legend; but when you came, everybody stopped talking about it.'  
'Why?'  
'Why? Because Drago ordered everyone not to, of course. He does that every time a new trapper comes to replace the murdered one. And sometimes... the trappers aren't murdered by dragons...'  
'Who- or what- are they murdered by, then?'  
'You ask an awful lot of questions, boy,' Heimiik grumbled. 'Better not let Drago catch you asking them. Anyway, sometimes Drago murders trappers.'  
I gasped. 'Why would he do that?'  
'For returning empty-handed, being traitors, things like that.' he answered.  
'And why does Drago order everyone not to talk about when a trapper was murdered when a new one comes?'  
'Because, if they were murdered by a dragon, the legend would probably scare a new trapper... like you, for example. And if they're murdered by Drago, he makes sure that it's very secret... done so that nobody knows... because if they did, some of the less loyal members of his forces might start a rebellion, a munity.'  
'How could they do that?'  
'Think about it, boy. There's probably more less loyal members of Drago's forces than he thinks... which would include dragons. He's trained everybody, human and dragon, to kill... so they might kill him.  
'And I, for one, don't have a problem with that. "Join me, and you will make the weapons that will destroy the beasts that took so much from you.", he said. What I didn't know back then, was that I would actually be making the things that would protect them, not destroy them.' Heimiik seemed to be talking to himself now, angrily.  
'Anyway, speaking of murdering people... what was the last leader of the trappers' name?' I asked.  
'Horvutah.'  
I suddenly remembered something that Ziist had said; about how it was a sort of trappers' tradition for the second-in-command of the trappers to wear a disc depicting the dragon species that had killed his leader. But why would this be a tradition?  
I asked Heimiik this.  
'Drago makes the second-in-commands wear the discs, because he wants to keep the hate going. Hate for the dragons; hate for the beast that murdered their leader. That emotion is the reason he started this whole army anyway.  
'It's the guiding force behind his plan. If there's no hate for the dragons, then he can't make people unite in the hope to get rid of it. Of course, I don't believe that, anyway.'  
I desperately tried to change the subject, in terror that Drago would hear.  
'I've heard a bit about the legend; the Stormcutter that murdered Horvutah had a son, didn't it?'  
'Yes, and it was captured, and served in the dragon army for a while. It was sent out on a mission... but it decided to run away in the course of it.'  
'Where did it go?'  
'We don't know. Don't you think that if we did, Drago'd be sending out practically everyone to go and look for it?'  
'Well, yes, but-'  
'I think it's good that it's run away. Hopefully, now it won't have to worry about being re-captured ever again. Wish I was as lucky as that dragon.' he sighed.  
Suddenly, we heard footsteps approaching the forge.  
'Quick, boy!' Heimiik yelled in a strangled whisper. 'Get the needle and thread, and _go_!'  
I grabbed the items from one of the drawers, finding exactly what I needed in my terror- but I wasn't able to stuff them into my furs.  
The reason for this walked into the forge, and went over to Heimiik.  
'What were you telling him to go for, _blacksmith_? Why would he need to get out of the forge quickly? Is it because he was..._running away_?' Drago's green eyes lit up with evil triumph. He walked over to me, apparently satsified with his questions for Heimiik being left unanswered.  
'_Well_? _Was it_?' he persisted. He caught sight of the needle and thread, clutched in my hand.  
'What's _that_?' He snatched it.  
'A needle and thread, Drago.' I told him helpfully.  
His eyes narrowed, but then lit up again.  
'Maybe you will learn to watch how you speak to your master once you have had your punishment.'  
'You're not my master.' I protested.  
This time his eyes did not light up, but stayed narrowed.  
'I _am_ your master, boy, because you are working for me. A slave calls the person he works for his master, so why should that not apply to dragon trappers?' His eyes lit up for the third time, mocking me, challenging me, _daring_ me to argue back.  
'And blacksmiths.' he added cruelly.  
'But I have more important things to do than argue with _you_, boy. Like giving you your punisment.' he smiled.  
My stomach dropped at the mention of this.  
He walked over to a rack, which had several small metal things hanging off it, and grabbed the last of these things. Walking over to the forge's fire, he placed the object into it, until it began to sizzle. The sound made him smile, as if he was already imagining that that was the sound that it would make on my skin.  
He took the object out of the fire, and placed it onto the worktable, looking back at me, and smiling in the way that he would do, five years later, when he and Stoick the Vast circled each other, before their fight, as if waiting for my horror at what this object was to fully unfold.  
It was a brand, in the shape of one of the emblems on the sails of Drago's ships.  
He growled at satisfaction at my terror, and wrapped the still-burning brand inside his cloak, but not enough so that the fire would be extinguished.  
'But, back to my question. What is that needle and thread, as you told me it was, _for_?'  
'Uh, um... it's t-to s-sew up t-that r-rip in m-my furs that you gave me with your claws.'  
_Please_, _gods_, _buy it_, _please_, I prayed.  
He growled in suspicion, and whacked me with his metal arm, in such a way that it almost required me to repair a second rip in my furs, but, thank the gods, it looked like he had bought it.  
He grunted at me to follow him out of the forge, which I did.  
Our entrance out of the forge, and into the shipyard, was greeted by a growl of thunder. Drago repeated the sound.  
Suddenly, a look of vicious glee entered his eyes and his face.  
He turned to me, pulling the brand out of his cloak.  
'Time for your punishment, boy...'

* * *

'Remember, boy,' Drago snarled, as he held the brand near my chest, 'Drago Bludvist _never_ forgets. He does not forget to ask a question, and he _especially_ does not forget one of his trappers' failure to bring back a Monstrous Nightmare to its master.'  
A flash of lightning lit up his scarred face, as he finished saying this.  
That was the last thing that happened before he pressed the brand onto my chest.


End file.
